Turkey’s new vice president vowed to fight inflation.

Turkey’s new vice president, Cevdet Yilmaz, said on Monday that the authorities are focusing on fighting inflation and rebuilding 11 provinces in the country’s southeast that were hit by the February 6 earthquake.

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On Monday, the handover ceremony to Yılmaz was held by former Vice President Fuat Oktay.

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“We will continue on with investment, employment, production and exports. We will work to ensure that the current deficit is not a problem. In this regard, we will pay special attention to combating inflation affecting the lives of citizens. Other priorities include the reconstruction of the provinces, affected by the February earthquakes,” Yilmaz said.

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Annual inflation in Turkey in May amounted to 39.59%, the Turkish Bureau of Statistics (TÜİK) reported. According to the Bureau, the largest increase for the year – almost 70% – was recorded in the average check for dining out and hotel stays, as well as for healthcare services.

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In turn, the Independent Inflation Analysis Group (ENAG) states that the figure was 109%.

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The Central Bank of Turkey predicts that inflation will reach 22.3% by the end of the year.