Rebellion against them all

They are even mocking us. They call it the “2024 Year of the Retiree.” On one hand, the AKP government is cruelly seizing the rights of retirees. On the other hand, there are those who claim to be opposition supporters but believe the AKP narrative, saying, “They deserve it, retirees shouldn't have voted for the AKP.”

As a retiree, I am “Rebelling against them all.” I invite those who put forward the thesis that retirees vote for the AKP, and those who say “We did not let retirees be crushed by inflation,” to prove what they say with data and unbiased political observations.

I have written in previous articles about how the AKP has violated the rights of retirees. I will summarize it with three different calculations at the end of this article. But first, priority goes to those who pretend to be opposition but serve the government by saying, “They deserve it, they shouldn't have voted for the AKP.”

The AKP has emerged as the leading party in every election it has entered for 21 years. Despite such severe distribution crises in the economy, its vote share remains between 40 and 49 percent. The main opposition party's votes are stuck between 18 and 25 percent. The lesson to be learned here is: Before attacking retirees, demand that the opposition get its own house in order. The main opposition party has changed its chairman. We will see the effect in the next two elections.

A question for those who say “They deserve it.” What data do you have that makes you say retirees vote for the AKP en masse?

You say: “There are 15 million retirees. Together with their families, that makes 30 million voters.” The total number of voters is 61 million. According to this claim, half the population is retirees and their families! What kind of calculation is this? For example, we are 2 people and we are both retirees. We have 2 votes, not 4. Many retirees have also lost their spouses and are widowed. So, the number of retiree voters is not 30 million or anything like that. The population over 60 is 12 million 280 thousand. The population over 55 is 16 million 774 thousand. In other words, our share within the 61 million domestic voters is 20 percent... If you say there are also early retirees, the number of voters aged 55 and over is 27 percent...

The AKP's votes are between 40 and 49 percent... So how do you know that this 20 or 27 percent votes for the AKP? Do the ramblings of a few bearded political Islamists who tell people to “take out your cell phone” in regions where conservative voters live, or a completely ignorant woman who complains about the cost of living and says “the CHP is responsible for this,” reflect all retirees in your view?

80 percent of voters are under 60, and the reason the AKP gets 49 percent of the vote is the 20 percent of retirees, is that it? I found it on the internet. There are research results from Metropoll that give the average of 6 polling companies. The data is from 2021. Which age groups did the parties receive the most votes from? Hold on tight.

The age group that votes for the AKP the most is the 45-54 age group with 32.7 percent.

In second place comes the 35-44 age group with 31.7 percent.

The place of the 55 and over group within AKP votes is third with 29 percent...

Yes, retirees also vote for the AKP, but the vote given to the AKP by those 55 and over is 29 percent according to the average of six polling companies... That is, not all of them. 70 percent vote for parties other than the AKP.

Let's come to the CHP. The CHP received the most votes from the 55 and over group with 23 percent.

The 18-24 age group comes in second in CHP votes. 21 percent of voters in this group vote for the CHP.

32 percent of voters between 35-55 vote for the AKP, and 16 percent vote for the CHP. Let's look at the youngest age group. 25 percent of those between 18-24 vote for the AKP, and 21 percent vote for the CHP. I have this data regarding who retirees and various age groups vote for. With what data in your hand are you saying “You deserve it”?

It's not over, my rebellion continues. There is the issue of the wisdom of the ignorant voter. As the quality of education drops, AKP votes rise. Are you not aware of how the quality of education has dropped over the last 40 years, especially in the last 20 years? The general culture of the segment that received middle school and high school education before 1980 is above that of today's university youth. Almost all university graduates before 1980 put to shame all of today's “almond-bearded” types who have become fake professors through plagiarism without publishing a single article. Of course, we have very valuable and highly respected academics at a young age. Unfortunately, their number is in the minority... That is why the votes of the group under 55 mostly go to the AKP.

And my rebellion still does not subside. Today's retirees are referred to as the 68-78 generation during their active working age. This is not a definition made for those born between 68 and 78, but for those who were between 18 and 30 years old during these years. The 68 and 78 generation has been the most active protest segment in social life both in the world and in Turkey. It does not surrender easily. It would walk the streets in large masses and fill the squares in the face of the slightest injustice. Let us also remember that during these protests, 6000 of us were killed by the counter-guerrilla, provocateurs infiltrating leftist organizations, and fascists.

My rebellion is not over, I am continuing. During the period between 1973-80, when the 68-78 generation was the active population, the leading party was never political Islamists or radical parties. The CHP became the leading party with 43 percent in general elections and 49 percent in local elections. They shared first and second place with the AP, changing from election to election. The votes of political Islamists would barely reach 5 percent.

In Turkey, corruption was also taking place during the period when the 68-78 generation was of active population age. For example, Yahya Demirel, the nephew of the Prime Minister of the period, Süleyman Demirel, had received unfair tax refunds from the state through fictitious exports. The incident was revealed. The judiciary stepped in, and while Süleyman Demirel was Prime Minister, his nephew was found guilty and sentenced to prison. The retirees of today, whom you say “They deserve it,” were the active population of that period; they did not say “They steal but they work” like today's people, they expressed their reaction against injustice in every field. Parties on the right or left always took public reaction seriously.

My rebellion still has not subsided. We just talked about those walking the streets and gathering in the squares. Recently, marches are being held in the streets, squares, and even in courthouse corridors. Calls for Sharia and the Caliphate are being made in violation of the Constitution and laws. My brothers and children who say “They deserve it, retirees shouldn't have voted for the AKP.” Find the Sharia and Caliphate demonstrations on YouTube videos and watch them again. Are people of retirement age walking and calling for Sharia and the Caliphate, or are people between the ages of 18-50?

There are very well-intentioned young people among you. Using developments in information and communication, there are amazing organizations like Oy ve Ötesi (Vote and Beyond). But there is no main opposition party that can organize this potential. Let alone organizing, there is an opposition that cannot even send representatives to at least 20 thousand of the approximately 200 thousand ballot boxes in the elections of the last 21 years, to at least 10 percent of the votes and ballot boxes. In such cases, instead of criticizing retirees, it is expected that you take over active politics and join opposition parties to give them strength. Unfortunately, “the pear does not ripen and fall into the mouth.”

THE CRUELTY OF THE AKP

That is all for my reproach to those who oppose the AKP. Before giving an example of the AKP's cruelty, I will make one more reminder. During the AKP period, current transfers and social expenditures within the budget increased. However, these expenditures do not show that the AKP is implementing social state policies. Based on hundreds or even thousands of news reports in the media, it is possible to say that social aid is ostensibly delivered to the poor through District Governors and Governors, but in practice, this aid is organized by district and provincial chairmen.

It is known that whoever supports the AKP, from businessmen to small tradesmen, from the unemployed to retirees and farmers, is rewarded by the government. There are contractors, industrialists, intermediaries, brokers, bureaucrats, and local politicians who have become some of the world's richest by cozying up to the AKP, and there are those who are influenced by a box of food supplies, or those who feel grateful for having their children placed in jobs. Among them are retirees and students. The AKP enriches its own supporters. If retirees were a mass that mostly voted for the AKP, their pension would not be 10 thousand liras today, but at least close to 45 thousand liras according to the inflation of just the last two years and the minimum wage relationship.

They are mocking us by calling 2024 the year of the retiree... There are elections ahead. In a short time, Mehmet Şimşek will be declared the bad cop. Pensions will not be 10 thousand liras, but will be made 12 thousand 500 or 13 thousand liras. Supposedly people will be happy and they will collect votes. Of course, 12 thousand 500 liras is greater than 10 thousand, but the lowest pension that should be for 2024 is between 35 thousand 800 liras and 45 thousand liras. I calculated it from three different windows. Those who are curious can continue reading.

INFLATION CALCULATION: I only took the last two years. If I went further back, it would come out much higher. When the AKP came to power, the lowest pension was 40 percent above the minimum wage... Retirees should never give up the demand for 40 percent above the minimum wage...

At the beginning of 2022, the minimum wage is 4253 TL. 40 percent above it is 5954 TL...

ENAG Inflation is 137 percent for 2022 and 127 percent for 2023... Out of respect for science, I do not take TUIK seriously.

5954x2.37x2.27 = 32.032 TL. This is the lowest pension that should have been at the end of 2023.

And a 40 percent expected inflation raise for 2024.

32.032 x1.40 = 44.844 TL... The lowest pension that should be for 2024. 76 percent of the retiree's salary has evaporated.

GOLD CALCULATION: Let's make a calculation based on gold, reminding that gold has remained behind inflation, especially for the last two years. When the AKP came to power, 8 quarter gold coins could be bought with the lowest pension. This amounts to 25 thousand 600 liras for today. If you put the 40 percent inflation expectation of 2024 on top of that, you find the lowest pension as 35 thousand 800 liras. 71 percent of the retiree's salary has evaporated.

NATIONAL INCOME AND DISTRIBUTION CALCULATION: Another calculation showing that the retiree is being devastated... Aziz Çelik wrote in Bir Gün Newspaper on January 15:

“12.2 percent of the 2008 population are retirees. Their share of the National Income is 5.9 percent...

16.3 percent of the 2022 population are retirees. Their share of the national income is 4.5 percent...”

Although the number of retirees has increased, their share of the national income pie has decreased. So how much has it decreased? I sat down and calculated.

Our mid-2008 population is 71 million 158 thousand. 12.2 percent are retirees, a total of 8 million 681 thousand people.

Our 2008 national income is 783 billion dollars. 5.9 percent of this goes to retirees. 783x0.059= 46.2 billion dollars. An average of 5232 dollars per retiree per year. By the way, let us remind you. In 2008, the average income per capita was 11 thousand dollars.

Our mid-2022 population is 84 million 900 thousand people. 16.3 percent are retirees. Total number of retirees is 13 million 839 thousand.

Our 2022 national income is 906 billion dollars. Retirees receive a 4.5 percent share. 906 x 0.045 = 40.7 billion dollars.

The number of retirees is increasing, the total share they receive is decreasing. The average annual income per retiree falls to 2946 dollars. In 2022, the average income per capita is 10.659 dollars.

The retiree's 5232 dollars in 2008 falls to 2946 in 2022. 44 percent of their income evaporates. On top of that, since the exchange rate was suppressed in 2022, we can say that the purchasing power that actually evaporated exceeded 44 percent.

To those who crush the retiree, and to those who do not understand the state of the retiree and say “Good for them”...

“Rebellion against you all”