CHP's Bağcıoğlu calls on the government regarding the wave of retirements in the defense industry: 'Turn back from this mistake immediately'
As debates continue over whether it is more advantageous for employees to retire in 2024 compared to 2025, Yankı Bağcıoğlu, CHP Deputy Chairman responsible for the Ministry of National Defense, has made a statement. Addressing the government, Bağcıoğlu said, "Personnel working in the defense industry, in particular, will retire early; turn back from this mistake."
Beste Çelik
With the arrival of the new year, calculations continue regarding the determined pension amounts, suggesting that the pensions of citizens who retire in 2024 will be higher and that this difference will persist in the coming years. Yankı Bağcıoğlu, CHP Deputy Chairman responsible for the Ministry of National Defense, announced that the rising wave of retirements in the defense industry is seriously endangering our country's strategic projects and national security.
“DUE TO THE INJUSTICE IN THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM…”
Beginning his remarks by highlighting global developments, Bağcıoğlu said, “We are in a period where political and military balances in the world are changing rapidly and countries are declaring mobilization in their defense industries. Many countries are even calling retired experts back to duty to work on production and capacity increases. However, unfortunately, this process is working in reverse in our country, and technical personnel working on critical projects are leaving their posts due to injustices in the retirement system.”
“WE ARE EXPERIENCING LOSSES IN OUR INSTITUTIONS RUNNING NATIONAL PROJECTS”
Stating that they had warned the government before the new year, Bağcıoğlu said, “We said repeatedly that the fact that employees retiring in 2024 will receive higher pensions than those in 2025 would cause personnel working in the defense industry, in particular, to retire early and would disrupt projects, but we could not make ourselves heard. At the point we have reached, we are experiencing serious human resource losses in our institutions that carry out national projects, such as ASELSAN, TUSAŞ, Roketsan, Havelsan, STM, ASFAT, and MKE. At TUSAŞ, the request of approximately one thousand personnel to 'retire but continue working' was rejected, and they were told to 'make your choice.'”
“THIS MISTAKE MUST BE REVERSED IMMEDIATELY”
Emphasizing that current practices must be corrected urgently, Bağcıoğlu stated, “This mistake must be reversed immediately. Legal regulations that will enable retired experts to take on duties again must be implemented without delay. Our country's defense industry draws its strength not only from technology but also from the human resources that produce and develop this technology. The losses experienced due to current practices put our national security and strategic projects at great risk. It is essential that these wrong policies be corrected urgently.”