Pack your bags, retirees, we're going on a world tour!

May God be pleased with you all!

The improvement raise that our retirees needed to travel the world has finally been made...

You know, those who were making a fuss, claiming that while German, British, and French retirees—who are jealous of us—travel the world on cruise ships, our retirees are waiting in line for cheap bread, must be ashamed now.

AKP Group Chairman Abdullah Güler announced that the lowest pension has been increased from 10,000 TL to 12,500 TL and that 3.7 million retirees will be affected by the regulation.

A raise of exactly 2,500 TL has been given to retirees...

Now you might ask, what does this raise have to do with traveling the world? Let me explain immediately.

Today, while the raise for retirees was being announced, AKP Group Chairman Abdullah Güler also announced the increase to be made to the international departure tax.

Accordingly, a 233 percent raise is coming to the international departure tax, which was applied as 150 TL!

It was announced that the new figure will be 500 TL.

In other words, our government raised the international departure tax, but they also gave a raise to our retirees so that they wouldn't be affected or victimized while going on a world tour. Moreover, they gave a 2,500 lira raise, so 500 for the tax and 2,000 lira as pocket money...

And then they try to stir things up by saying the economy is bad.

Look, I'm going to do a simple calculation now, and you will see how our economy is progressing stably and that there are no problems.

This tax was first introduced in August 2001 for citizens traveling abroad from Turkey to pay. I don't know if there is an equivalent in the world, but it doesn't exist in developed countries.

Anyway, that's not our main topic.

In 2001, the tax fee was collected as the TL equivalent of 50 dollars.

On April 1, 2007, the tax fee became 15 Turkish liras. On August 1, 2019, the tax fee was increased to 50 Turkish liras. In 2022, the tax fee was increased to 150 Turkish liras.

With the new figure announced today, it has risen to 500 TL.

But the point that should not be overlooked is this: In 2001, the tax fee was the TL equivalent of 50 dollars. Today, 50 dollars equals 1653 TL.

So, when you look at it over the years, international departure taxes have become cheaper in dollar terms!

My dear brother, if you look at the situation from this perspective, you will be happy.

Can't you go abroad?

What does it matter? The tax, which was 50 dollars, has dropped to 15 dollars; let the drums play... Let the folk dances begin...

Auntie Semiha, Uncle Şerafettin, Aunt Rukiye, Uncle Hasan, please don't form queues in front of tourism companies immediately...

In light of all these beautiful developments, we need to be grateful for our situation and say "thank God." But even though some factionalists say that the "Law on Amendments to Tax Laws and Certain Laws" proposal, which has occupied the public agenda for a long time, will bring new taxes and new hikes, what did our President say?

"We have not been, and will not be, a government that turns a deaf ear to the streets, the markets, and the bazaars. We are implementing policies to avoid falling into the trap of populism that has cost Turkey heavy bills in the past. Since last month, the heat of inflation has started to drop. Hopefully, this process will accelerate even more in the coming months. We will reach the levels we targeted for inflation by the end of the year. As the effects of the medium-term program are seen, campaigns to wear down our economic staff have intensified."

Now, on November 5, 2018, the then Minister of Treasury and Finance Berat Albayrak had said that inflation would be downward in November and December. Again in 2019, Albayrak said, "February is truly much better than January. I am saying it very clearly, March will also be better than February. April will already be much better than March."

You will remember that even former Minister of Treasury and Finance Nureddin Nebati said in 2022, "Starting from December, we will all see together how inflation drops every month in this country and we will walk," but this time the situation is different.

If you don't believe me, ask Auntie Semiha, Uncle Şerafettin, Aunt Rukiye, and Uncle Hasan, the retirees who are planning to travel the world with the extra 2,500 TL pension they received.

It's not like you know better than them...