Harsh criticism from IYI Party's Usta on the lowest pension: A mentality that equalizes Turkey at the lowest common denominator

With the lowest pension being raised to 23,500 liras, criticisms regarding the figure have begun to emerge one after another.

IYI Party's Usta also reminded in a statement on his social media account that the money provided remains below the hunger threshold.

Erhan Usta criticized the figure projected for retirees with the following words:

"A mentality that equalizes Turkey at the most mediocre, at the lowest level.

The lowest pension will be raised to 23,500 liras. This means millions of people will be given a monthly salary 15,000 liras below the hunger threshold.

Injustice continues to be done to retirees who paid higher and longer-term premiums in their time.

The gap between the worker and the retiree has also widened incredibly.

In the 'Old Turkey' you dislike, the ratio of the lowest civil servant pension to the lowest civil servant salary was 96%. Today, this ratio has fallen to 43%.

In other words, in 2002, a retired civil servant was receiving almost as much monthly as a working civil servant. Today, a retired civil servant cannot even receive half of what a worker gets!

Where did the other half go?

If there are means in the budget, why don't you give it?

If there are no means in the budget, why aren't there?

I am asking a very simple question: Why are the means that existed in 2002 not available in the Turkey of 2026?

Because resources are going to corruption and theft.

The Iraq oil issue is still very fresh. Turkey will pay 1.47 billion dollars in compensation just so some people can make money.

I explained the EMRA issue; this state was swindled out of 53 billion dollars over 20 years.

Resources are not allocated to the retiree, but to cronies and comrades!

You will give the retiree their due! You will give it whether there are resources in the budget or not!"