Erdogan sacks statistics chief after inflation report

This announcement was made weeks after Sait Erdal Dincer, chief of the Turkish Statistics Institute, has published the report showing the inflation rate is highest in 19 years.

Instead of Dencer, Erhan Cetinkaya has been appointed.
Erdogan has not provided clarification to the appointment of Centinkaya, who previously served as deputy head of Turkey's banking regulator.

Dincer has been criticised by both the government and the opposition, after publishing data on January 3rd showing consumer prices have increased by 36.1 per cent in December compared to a year earlier.

This figure has been higher than the 27 percent forecast of analysts.

The Turkish opposition has said spending on living is at least twice as high as Turkish media have reported that Erdogan is angry at publishing data.

High inflation has eroded purchasing power in Turkey, where food, transport, heating, electricity and other necessities have increased.

Inflation has deteriorated by Erdogan's intervention in the Central Bank and its economic policies.

Although the central banks usually battle inflation through increased interest rates and toughening monetary policies, Erdogan has said that high interest rates cause inflation.

The Turkish leader has pressured the Central Bank to lower interest rates several times, what has resulted from the depreciation of the lira.

This Turkish currency has lost 44 percent of its value against the US dollar last year.