Major Turkish party pledges support for government's 2022 budget

ANKARA

A prominent Turkish party leader on Tuesday said that they would back the government’s proposed 2022 budget.

Speaking to his Nationalist Movement Party's (MHP) parliamentary group, Devlet Bahceli reiterated that parliament will start marathon deliberations on the 2022 budget on next Monday.

"The Nationalist Movement Party will back the budget and will vote yes," said Bahceli, whose party is key as it is the fourth-largest in parliament, and has a voting alliance with the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.

Bahceli called on his lawmakers to choose their words well when speaking in the parliamentary chamber.

"Steer clear of provocations, prepare well, avoid meaningless and distorted words, and abide by the principles of the People's Alliance," he added, referring to the party’s alliance with the AK Party.

Parliament's Planning and Budget Committee over the weekend approved the country's 2022 budget.

Next Monday, Vice President Fuat Oktay is set to present next year’s budget – the fourth under Turkey’s new presidential system – to the general assembly, where heated exchanges are expected.

Budget expenditures were projected at 1.750 trillion liras ($135.4 billion), and budget revenues at 1.472 billion liras ($113.9 million)

The budget deficit for next year was projected at 278 billion liras (nearly $21 billion).

The budget for 2022 will be the 20th budget of the AK Party government, which has been in power for nearly two decades.