Public spending in Turkey in the first four months of 2019, which corresponds to the campaign period for the March 31 local elections, increased by 30 percent year-on-year, the Diken news website reported on Wednesday.
Turkey’s state budget had a deficit of TL 54.5 billion in the first quarter, TL18.3 billion in April alone. 6.5 times higher year-on-year with an increase of 135.1 percent.
Turkey’s budget deficit was TL 23.2 billion in the first quarter of 2018 and TL 2.8 billion in April 2018.
According to data from the Treasury and Finance Ministry, Turkey’s budget revenues increased by 18.9 percent, totaling TL 276 billion in the January-April period over the same period of 2018; however, there was a 29.5 percent increase in state expenditures in the same period, reaching TL 330.4 billion.