Bilal Erdoğan's latest remarks on EYT: How can they stomach this?
Bilal Erdoğan criticized the young retirement age in Turkey, comparing it to Western countries and reacting to the demands for state pensions from those who retired early.
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The regulation for those affected by the age of retirement (EYT), which allows individuals who started working before September 8, 1999, to retire without an age requirement, continues to be a subject of debate on Turkey's agenda. This regulation, which became law on March 3, 2023, and was rapidly passed before the elections, has sparked criticism within economic management and certain segments of society.
The EYT regulation was enacted after being published in the Official Gazette with the signature of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. However, shortly after, the costs it imposed on the economy and the fact that millions of people retired at a young age drew reactions from various figures.
Most recently, President Erdoğan's son, Bilal Erdoğan, harshly expressed his criticisms toward those who retired at a young age by taking advantage of the EYT. Citing the work culture in the West, Bilal Erdoğan said:
"How can a person who retired at 45 through EYT say, 'Let the state give me a pension enough to live on'? How can they stomach this?"
Erdoğan stated that people in Western countries continue to work until advanced ages and criticized the practice of early retirement in Turkish society.
"AT 70, THE INFIDEL IN AMERICA IS SERVING TABLES"
Emphasizing the work discipline in the West, Erdoğan used the following expressions:
"Elsewhere, a person works at 60-65; at 70, the infidel in America is serving tables. In our country, however, people say, 'Let the state give me a living allowance' at 45."
Arguing that the greatest danger facing society is laziness, Bilal Erdoğan drew attention to the importance of the working segment and the need to increase the value placed on labor. In his statement, he noted that the active population's contribution to production is critical for both the economy and the social structure.
ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT HAD ALSO CRITICIZED IT
Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek had also previously stated in his remarks that the EYT regulation created a serious economic burden and strained budget balances. Such criticisms made over the right to early retirement in Turkey could ignite new debates regarding the pension system in the coming period.