AKP members 'surprised' by minimum wage express concern over pensions: 'If the same mistake is made...'

The minimum wage, which directly concerns 7 million workers and indirectly affects the entire society, was announced as 22,104 TL following a hastily arranged meeting on the evening of December 24.

While citizens reacted to the announced poverty wage, AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan argued that they did not allow workers to be crushed by inflation.

It has been learned that the 30 percent raise applied to the minimum wage also caused astonishment within AKP circles. According to the pro-government Türkiye Gazetesi, the phones of AKP members were locked up after Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan announced the figure on Tuesday evening. Citizens reacting to the figure flooded the social media accounts, office phones, and mobile phones of the deputies with messages of protest.

"WE THOUGHT THE PRESIDENT MIGHT MAKE A TOUCH"

While deputies struggled to respond to the reactions, they made the following assessment behind the scenes:

"We were also very surprised by the figure. Frankly, we were expecting it to be 23,500 or 24,000 lira. When 22,104 lira was announced, we thought the President might make a touch at the group meeting the next day, but this did not happen. The reaction formed in the public was also conveyed to the President. The reactions from citizens in our electoral districts were also brought to the agenda. They are both reacting to the figure and pointing out the contradiction that while the minimum wage is raised by 30 percent, the taxes, fees, and fines collected by the state for the services it provides are increased by around 44 percent. The citizen is right about this. If the minimum wage is increasing by 30 percent, the state should have also increased its own receivables by 30 percent. Another problem is that while the minimum wage is raised by 30 percent, the minimum wage support given to the employer is increased by 43 percent. A balance should have been established here as well."

"THE SAME MISTAKE SHOULD NOT BE MADE"

On the other hand, after the determination of the minimum wage, eyes have turned to the lowest pension salaries. Stating that they would be in a more difficult situation if an increase below expectations is made in pension salaries, it was learned that AKP officials said, "A serious step must be taken regarding the lowest pension salary, which is currently 12,500 lira. If a mistake is made like in the minimum wage, it will be difficult for us to explain this. Because we are the ones facing the citizens. The economic management will of course implement its own program. We also want this to be successful, but the problems regarding low and fixed-income earners must be resolved."