Turkey: government intervenes in the poultry market

Protecting consumers from excessive prices is legitimate, but appointing receivers to oversee producers undermines the legal system, warns Sözcü:

“If companies in the sector have colluded to fix prices at the expense of consumers, this must be thoroughly investigated. If there is a cartel, it must be exposed. … The critical point, however, is that what begun as an outcry over expensive chicken meat is turning into a case of criminal conspiracy. … If receivers are appointed to manage poultry farmers today, who will be targeted tomorrow? … Protecting citizens’ eating habits must not lead to a sell-off of the rule of law. … The price of chicken is certainly important. But the price of justice carries far more weight.”