The list of privileges for MPs who say 500,000 TL is not enough: Watches worth a fortune, unlimited opportunities...

AKP member Nebi Hatipoğlu's watches worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and Mestan Özcan's statement that "I cannot make ends meet with an MP's salary" have sparked public outrage. So, how much are MP salaries, and what are the conditions? Sözcü columnist Yılmaz Özdil compiled the perks granted to MPs, stating, "We are the nation, we are the essential ones, these are the nation's representatives." Here is that article...

First, let's underline that MPs do not receive a "salary"; they receive an "allowance," and thanks to this wordplay, they receive approximately 500,000 liras. The concept of a salary is legally defined as money paid monthly to personnel working in a position to provide for their livelihood. MPs, however, do not work in any "position" because there is no profession called being an MP. Therefore, the money they receive is not called a salary, but an allowance...

So, how is this allowance determined? It is indexed to the salary received by the highest-ranking civil servant. Who is the highest-paid civil servant? The Head of Administrative Affairs of the Presidency; they give that person's salary to MPs as an "allowance." At the same time, since they are also retirees, they receive a double salary, effectively doubling the salary of that highest-paid civil servant.

It doesn't end there... Along with the allowance, every MP is given a travel stipend. How much is given? Half of the allowance is given. In other words, they receive a travel stipend equal to half of their salary. An MP who says "I cannot make ends meet with 500,000 liras" says, "for example, we don't get gas money," yet they receive a travel stipend equal to half their salary every month; they buy gas with that money, and if they pay for parking, they even pay for that out of this stipend, and they pay for their food and drink during their travels from this stipend.

It doesn't end there... If they go abroad representing the TBMM (Grand National Assembly of Turkey), for example, traveling on behalf of the Assembly, their hotel, flight, food, and drink expenses are all covered by the state, and on top of that, they receive a per diem. Yes, they are paid extra for going on a trip abroad!

It doesn't end there... If they serve as an MP for two years, they become eligible for a pension and receive a double salary. If their term ends before they have served for two years, the TBMM provides another favor: the insurance premiums of MPs who have not yet become eligible for a pension are paid by the TBMM for four years, based on the premiums of the highest-ranking civil servant.

It doesn't end there... The hospital and treatment expenses of MPs, former MPs, their spouses, children, mothers, and fathers are all covered by the state. Even after their term as an MP ends, they go to the most elite private hospitals, they go to the best laboratories, and the state pays for all the hospital and treatment expenses of themselves, their spouses, children, mothers, and fathers. The Speaker of the Assembly himself had admitted it; there are MPs who change their glasses every two months, MPs who have implants put in all 32 of their teeth, and it was even alleged—the height of the scandal—that there was an MP who had a penile implant installed with the nation's money.

It doesn't end there... MPs can go to any private hospital they want, but in addition, there is a Chief Physician's office within the TBMM, there are radiology, microbiology, and biochemistry laboratories, dental, internal medicine, ENT, pediatric, and dermatology clinics, and there are doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, and dietitians waiting on standby at all times.

It doesn't end there... An MP who says "I cannot make ends meet" says "we pay for our own flight tickets," but again, they are using wordplay, because Turkish Airlines provides a favor equivalent to cash; MPs buy "economy class" tickets, and these tickets are upgraded to "business class" for free.

It doesn't end there... MPs are given two separate GSM lines and two separate mobile phones, and their bills are also paid by the Assembly.

It doesn't end there... MPs, their spouses, and their children are given diplomatic passports, and after their term as an MP ends, they are given special passports for life.

NO TRAFFIC FINES ARE ISSUED

It doesn't end there... No traffic fines are issued to MPs. Traffic fines are issued to the public, but no traffic fines are issued to the representative chosen by the public. So what happens if an MP commits a traffic offense, speeds, or runs a red light? Nothing... These traffic offenses they commit are sent to the Assembly with a detection report, that's all; no monetary fine is paid!

It doesn't end there... The TBMM takes a three-month break from its work every summer, and MPs go on a three-month vacation; even though the Assembly is closed and they are not working, they continue to receive their money regularly.

It doesn't end there... If an MP dies, a death benefit equal to 12 months of their salary is paid to their surviving family.

It doesn't end there... MPs are given an MP ID card, and the spouses of MPs are given a "special identification card" by the Assembly; furthermore, 10 relatives of each MP are given ID badges as "MP relatives."

It doesn't end there... MPs are granted the right to two advisors each, and the Assembly pays the advisors' salaries. MPs are provided with a secretary; there are 600 MPs and 600 secretaries, and the Assembly also pays the secretaries' salaries."