At a speech at an award ceremony for academics on Dec. 19, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned the sharp decrease in the Turkish treasury reserves. He said “when I was the Prime Minister, we increased the reserves up to $135 billion. Then a decrease was experienced. I was not there. I was the President by then. Now the reserves are again above $100 billion.”
Erdogan’s comments confused the public. What does Erdogan mean when he says he was absent? Who was then in charge then? Politicians and satire outlets ridiculed Erdogan’s bizarre comment. This is particularly perplexing for Turkey watchers who had heard Erdogan much repeated phrase: “I am the one responsible for the economy.” Who is responsible for what and under which conditions is becoming more and more difficult to determine in Turkey.
