Varlık Vergisi
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Varlık Vergisi ("Wealth tax" or "Capital tax") was a Turkish tax levied on the wealthy citizens of Turkey in 1942, with the stated aim of raising funds for the country's defense in case of an eventual entry into World War II.
The bill for the one-off tax was proposed by the Şükrü Saracoğlu government, and the act was adopted by the Turkish parliament on November 11, 1942. It was imposed on the fixed assets, such as landed estates, building owners, real estate brokers, businesses, and industrial enterprises of all citizens, including the minorities. However, those who suffered most severely were non-Muslims like the Jews, Greeks, Armenians, and Levantines, who controlled a large portion of the economy. Cheers ![1]
During World War II, Turkey remained neutral until February of 1945. Officially, the tax was devised to fill the state treasury that would have been needed had Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union invaded the country. However, it is argued, a main reason for the tax was to nationalize the Turkish economy by reducing minority populations' influence and control over the country's trade, finance, and industries.
The tax was paid by all citizens of Turkey, but higher tariffs were generally imposed on the country's non-Muslim inhabitants, often in an arbitrary and unrealistic way.
Turkey has however supplied efforts to help Jewish communities in Europe during World War II.
The rigidly-enforced, discriminatory law did not yield the results the government had hoped for. Companies increased the prices of their products sharply to recoup their losses, creating a spiral of inflation that wrecked low-income consumers.
Abolition and aftermath
The draconian law could not sustain relentless criticism, and it was abolished on March 15, 1944.
The opposition Democratic Party (DP) capitalized on its unpopularity in the general elections of 1950,[1] thereby achieving a landslide victory against the incumbent Republican People's Party (CHP).
References
- ^ a b Güven, Dilek (2005-09-06). "6-7 Eylül Olayları (1)". Radikal (in Turkish). Retrieved 2008-10-25.
Nitekim 1942 yılında yürürlüğe giren Varlık Vergisi, Ermenilerin, Rumların ve Yahudilerin ekonomideki liderliğine son vermeyi hedeflemiştir...Seçim dönemleri CHP ve DP'nin Varlık Vergisi'nin geri ödeneceği yönündeki vaatleri ise seçim propagandasından ibarettir.
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Further reading
- Levi, Avner (1996). Türkiye Cumhuriyeti'nde Yahudiler (in Turkish) (1st ed. ed.). İstanbul, Turkey: İletişim Yayınları. ISBN 975-470-583-6.
{{cite book}}:|edition=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - Aktar, Ayhan (2002). Varlık Vergisi ve "Türkleştirme" Politikaları (in Turkish) (6th ed. ed.). İstanbul, Turkey: İletişim Yayınları. ISBN 975-470-779-0.
{{cite book}}:|edition=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - Özcan, Yeldağ (1998). Çoğunluk Aydınlarında Irkçılık (in Turkish) (1st ed. ed.). İstanbul, Turkey: Belge Uluslararası Yayıncılık. ISBN 975-344-160-0.
{{cite book}}:|edition=has extra text (help); Check|isbn=value: checksum (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - Özcan, Yeldağ (2000). İstanbul'da Diyarbakır'da Azalırken (in Turkish) (3rd ed. ed.). İstanbul, Turkey: Belge Uluslararası Yayıncılık. ISBN 975-344-110-x.
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