Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sacked the head of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) after releasing data showing last year’s inflation rate hit a 19-year high.

The dismissal was the latest in a series of economic firing by the Turkish leader, who has relieved three central bank governors of their duties since July 2019.

According to the Official Gazette published on Saturday, Erdogan fired Sait Erdal Dincer, less than a year after his appointment, and replaced him with Erhan Cetinkaya, who served as vice president of Turkey’s banking regulation agency.

The reason for the move was unclear, but reports said that Dincer was fired after the official released data showing last year’s inflation rate hit a 19-year high of 36.1 percent and as part of Erdogan’s fight against inflation and currency depreciation.

The release of the 2021 inflation figures by the head of TUIK, which is responsible for posting official inflation statistics among other data, had angered the pro-government camp. It also infuriated the opposition groups, which claimed that it was underreported, alleging that the real cost of living increases were at least twice as high.

The Turkish president, according to the gazette, also appointed Bekir Bozdag, a former deputy prime minister, as the new justice minister, after his predecessor, veteran ruling party member Abdulhamit Gul, offered to resign as the justice minister.

I have resigned from my duties at the ministry of justice, which I have been serving since July 19, 2017, Gul wrote on Twitter. I would like to express my gratitude... for accepting my request. He did not explain his decision.

In recent months, prices have spiked as the Anatolian country has experienced economic turmoil with an unstable national currency, caused by huge interest rate cuts. Erdogan strongly opposes high interest rates, arguing that they fueled inflation, contradicting established economic theory.

Last year, Lira lost 44 percent of its value. Some blame the crisis on Erdogan’s decision to lower interest rates. Ankara, however, blames what it calls foreign plots against Turkey to weaken its economy and bring the country to its knees.

Inflation on consumer prices for December was officially announced at 36.08 percent, up from 21.31 percent in November.

In another decree on Saturday, Erdogan also ordered authorities to take legal action against the destructive effects of some media activities that are incompatible with national and moral values.

It has become requisite to take necessary measures to protect (families, children and the youth) against harmful media content, the Turkish leader said.

Some critics, however, denounced the move as censorship, saying it is another attempt to crack down on freedom of speech in the run-up to elections next year.