Oytun Erbaş's controversial minimum wage comment: 'A poor life is the healthiest life'
Prof. Dr. Oytun Erbaş commented on the new minimum wage, set at 22,104 TL, by saying, "A poor life is the healthiest life." Erbaş's remarks, including "Dried beans are protein, and meat is protein," drew backlash.
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Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan announced the new minimum wage that will be valid for 2025. The minimum wage, which increased to 22,104 TL with a 30 percent raise, has caused various reactions in the public. However, the most notable statement came from Prof. Dr. Oytun Erbaş.
Appearing as a guest on Buket Aydın's program on TV100, Erbaş sparked controversy with his words regarding the minimum wage. "I want a three-hundred-square-meter house, I want this, I want to eat that, I want to do this. There is no end to this. Today, dried beans are protein, and meat is protein; they are the same. That is why you need to learn humility. There is no end to this," said Erbaş, stating that he was drawing attention to the importance of a modest life.
'A POOR LIFE IS THE HEALTHIEST LIFE'
Erbaş made a controversial assessment, saying, "Even if the minimum wage were fifty, people would spend fifty. If it were a hundred, they would spend a hundred. There is no end to this. A poor life is the healthiest life."
'THEY SHOULD ORGANIZE THEIR LIVES ACCORDING TO THE MINIMUM WAGE'
Continuing his remarks, which drew the reaction of millions of workers, Erbaş said, "People should not be upset about the minimum wage; they should organize their lives accordingly. The country has its own internal dynamics, and one needs to adapt to them."
Giving an example from his own lifestyle, Erbaş said, "I don't have a car. What would happen if I bought a hundred pairs of shoes? At the end of the day, you eat two lahmacuns; I don't eat a third one."