Retirement pensions protested: Our retirees have been crushed even by official inflation

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced after a cabinet meeting that an additional 5 percent increase would be applied to SSK and Bağ-Kur retirement pensions. Erdoğan also announced that the lowest retirement pension had been raised to 10 thousand TL.

The People's Liberation Party (HKP) Gebze District Organization protested the wages given to retirees. HKP members participated in the demonstration with banners reading, "You heartless people; the hunger threshold is 14 thousand 25 TL, you shameless people; the retirement pension is 10 thousand TL. Are you giving them pocket money for a holiday?"

"PENSION PAYMENTS WILL NOT INCREASE BY 42.6 PERCENT AS CLAIMED"

HKP Gebze District Chair Murat Kızıltaş delivered the press statement on behalf of the group. Stating that the AKP government has left the public in need of dry bread, Kızıltaş said, "The AKP and its cohorts are trying to deceive our people even with the pittance of a raise they have given; they claim they have increased retirement pensions by a total of 42.6 percent. Retirement pensions will not increase by 42.6 percent as the AKP and its cohorts claim. In reality, millions of retirees whose base pensions are 7 thousand 012 TL and below, meaning the majority of retirees, will only receive a 33 percent raise. This rate has remained even below the 6-month inflation rate of 37.57 percent announced by TÜİK, which produces biased and distorted statistics in line with the wishes of the AKP and its cohorts. In other words, our retirees have been crushed even by official inflation," he said.

"WORKERS AND LABORERS HAVE BEEN CONDEMNED TO STARVATION WAGES"

Stating that the hunger threshold is 14 thousand 25 TL and the poverty threshold is 47 thousand TL, Kızıltaş said, "The AKP and its cohorts have condemned retirees, workers, and our laboring people to starvation wages, hunger, and poverty. Expecting a step in favor of our working class and laboring people from the AKP and its cohorts is like hoping for tears from a dead man's eyes."

"OUR STRUGGLE WILL CONTINUE UNTIL WE ESTABLISH A FULLY INDEPENDENT TURKEY"

HKP's Kızıltaş concluded his statement by saying, "We are fighting for wages and working conditions where all working segments, especially the working class, and retirees can live humanely. We will establish a revolutionary democratic people's power for a system where we can live humanely. Our struggle will continue until we establish a free, strong, happy, and fully independent Turkey where everyone can live equally, happily, and healthily. A wage that allows for a humane life is only possible under a revolutionary democratic people's power."