Erdoğan announced it as 'good news': Opposition reacts to 5,000 lira bonus for retirees
AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced after the cabinet meeting that a one-time bonus of 5,000 TL would be given to retirees who are not working. While millions of retirees expecting a raise in their pensions were disappointed, the one-time payment drew a barrage of criticism from politicians.
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Millions of retirees had their eyes and ears on yesterday's cabinet meeting. Making a statement after the meeting, AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that a one-time payment of 5,000 TL would be made to retirees who are not working.
Erdoğan said, “The payments will be deposited into our retirees' accounts as of the first half of November. We are excluding those who are both retired and still actively working from this arrangement.”
Millions of retirees who were expecting a raise in their pensions were disappointed.
“RETIREES WANT A WAGE THEY CAN LIVE ON HUMANELY”
The opposition's reaction to Erdoğan's statement was swift. CHP Group Chairman and Presidential Candidate Özgür Özel expressed his reaction with the words, “Retirees do not want charity, they want a fair wage they can live on humanely. The stopgap measures you take without raising the lowest pension to the level of the minimum wage are not enough to solve this problem. Let us discuss our legislative proposals to increase pensions as soon as possible.”
“THE GOVERNMENT'S MENTAL BLOCK”
Future Party (Gelecek Partisi) Chairman Ahmet Davutoğlu said, “Retirees do not want charity, they want to live humanely. In the current economic picture, which is getting heavier every day, the 5,000 TL to be given to retirees as a one-time payment has no meaning beyond charity. Moreover, the fact that retirees who still have to work because they cannot make ends meet are not allowed to benefit from this payment is a mental block of the government.”
“IT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO DEEM 5,000 TL WORTHY AS IF GIVING CHARITY TO PEOPLE”
DİSK President Arzu Çerkezoğlu stated the following;
"In conditions where 10 million retirees are condemned to live on 7,500 liras and half of the retirees are forced to either work or look for work, it is unacceptable to discriminate and to deem 5,000 TL worthy as if giving charity to people who have worked for years! Living humanely in retirement is a right!"
“YOU CONSUME THIS MONEY IN YOUR PALACE IN 17 SECONDS”
CHP Group Deputy Chairman and Mersin Deputy Ali Mahir Başarır used the following expressions in his post on his X account;
"Erdoğan has decided on a one-time payment of 5,000 TL for our retirees. You consume this money in your palace in 17 seconds and you don't even blush!"
“LET'S BREAK IT AND SPEND IT”
Democrat Party Deputy Chairman Cemal Enginyurt said, "I had said, do not stall retirees by calling it a holiday bonus. Erdoğan said, 'We have decided to pay 5,000 Turkish Liras to our retirees as a one-time payment. Both those who are retired and working will be out of scope.' What can we say? Let's break it and spend it. Damn your justice."