CHP protests pension hike in Turkish Parliament

CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır protested the 12-article legislative proposal, which includes regulations on working life and a 49.25 percent salary increase for SGK and Bağ-Kur retirees for the first six months of 2024, during the parliamentary deliberations.

At the end of Başarır's speech, the CHP Group came to the podium and protested the legislative proposal being discussed in Parliament with applause.

The speech delivered by Başarır from the parliamentary podium is as follows:

"THE IRREGULAR LOAN YOU GAVE TO ONE MAN IS 55 BILLION, THE COST OF THE RAISE YOU GAVE TO 4.1 MILLION RETIREES TO THE STATE IS 45 BILLION"

"Since the beginning of January, we have been talking about the raises to be given to retirees, civil servants, and workers, and let me say this: you gave these raises in installments, making retirees and workers suffer. TÜİK announced the inflation figures on January 3; it had to announce a completely fake figure that did not reflect the truth under the instructions of the palace, and the first raise was 37.57 percent, and you increased the lowest pension, which was 7,500 liras, to 10,000 liras. Later, the gentleman had a change of heart and said, 'I'm making it 42.' Then, it went up to 49 percent as if it were a great favor, and when it first went up to 42 percent, the President said: 'This costs us 45 billion.' The cost to the state and the public of the loan that the Demirören group took from Ziraat Bank and Vakıfbank and has not paid for five years is 55 billion. The irregular loan you gave to one man is 55 billion, the cost of the raise you gave to 4.1 million retirees to the state is 45 billion; this is a shameful picture. Whose money are you giving away?

"THIS RAISE, WHICH THE GENTLEMAN GAVE AS A FAVOR, HAS MELTED AWAY BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE DAY BY DAY"

What was our biggest concern regarding this law? At least bring the lowest pension to the level of the minimum wage. When you came to power in 2002, a retiree's monthly salary was equivalent to 1.5 times the minimum wage. Now, it is almost half. Can you explain this? I'm skipping everything else, but in these twenty-five days, the gentleman gave this raise in installments as a favor, like charity from his own pocket. In these twenty-five days, there has been a 28 percent increase in vegetables, 14 percent in lamb, 10 percent in eggs, 5 percent in flour, and 76 percent in highway tolls. The raise that the gentleman gave as a favor has already melted away because everything is getting more expensive day by day. Today, 'sahibinden.com' announced the rent increases for December-January; it is 100 percent, and for the first time in the history of the Republic, a retiree can only afford to live in their home for ten or fifteen days with half of their salary. They are in a position where they cannot pay rent with one month's salary. The gentleman is giving favors.

"WE ARE PROTESTING YOU ON BEHALF OF MILLIONS OF RETIREES"

The primary duty of Parliament is to defend the rights of retirees, workers, and civil servants. If you are saying that a retiree can make a living in this country with a 10,000 lira salary, then I have nothing to say. I am calling my group here for the millions of retirees who have to make a living with a 10,000 lira salary, and we are protesting; we find it unfair, we find it unlawful, we find it unjust, and we say 'Conscience,' 'Conscience.' I say that the development of a country is not measured by its palace, its planes, or the gentleman's convoy, but by the raise received by its retirees, workers, and civil servants. And we are protesting you on behalf of millions of retirees."