President Erdoğan's 'minimum wage' statement! 'A figure that balances'

Speaking at his party's 8th Ordinary Provincial Congress in Bursa, AKP Chairman and President Erdoğan stated that they continue to take steps to lower inflation and asked citizens to boycott those who engage in exorbitant pricing by hiding behind the free market. Saying "Interest rates must fall so that inflation can fall," Erdoğan also addressed criticisms regarding the minimum wage, stating, "It is a figure that balances employment, inflation, and income. If an employer wants to pay more, they can pay it." 

President and AKP Chairman Erdoğan attended his party's 8th Ordinary Provincial Congress in Bursa. Here are the highlights from Erdoğan's speech:

"Dear people of Bursa, my precious fellow travelers and comrades, my dear young brothers and sisters, esteemed ladies, I greet you all with my most heartfelt feelings, with longing and affection. I send my greetings to my brothers and sisters living in the center, districts, and neighborhoods of Bursa.

"WE WILL NOT SIT AT HOME, WE WILL BE CONSTANTLY IN THE FIELD"

While strengthening our staff with new names, we will never neglect those who, in times of scarcity, got their shoes muddy for our party and mobilized everything they had. Those who have carried this party to this day are those monuments of sacrifice. We will go and knock on the doors of those who are offended. We will do whatever is necessary to carry our party back to its rightful place in every field in Bursa. Our Roma brothers say; he who sits at home dies. This is exactly what we must do. We will not sit at home or in the provincial/district offices; we will be constantly in the field. I thank each of you in advance for your efforts and sincere endeavors.

"WE HAVE NOT TURNED A DEAF EAR TO ANYONE'S COMPLAINTS"

Uncertainties have increased even further with the Russia-Ukraine war. The high cost of living has also affected our Bursa. Our citizens with fixed incomes have faced these difficulties more. We are not turning a deaf ear to the complaints of any of our people. We are aware of every trouble and difficulty experienced. Our politics is a politics of service and works. It is a politics of being honest and transparent with the nation. 

Promises made just to save the day and then forgotten have harmed politics. Those who made generous promises without doing the math left damage behind. We said that even if we have to pay the price ourselves, we will not make the country pay the price. We have re-established trust in the political institution.

"PRIORITY IS TO LOWER INFLATION"

The main goal of our economic program is to compensate for the loss of welfare our nation, especially those with fixed incomes, has been exposed to as soon as possible. For this, we need to eliminate issues used as excuses for the high cost of living, such as inflation. The priority is to lower inflation. Because, as it is everywhere in the world, inflation is the mother of all evils in our country as well.

"THERE IS A SEGMENT EXPLOITING THE FREE MARKET ECONOMY, BOYCOTT THEM"

The arbitrary pricing habits of opportunists certainly make our job difficult. There is a segment that exploits the free market economy. We will overcome them as well. The most effective method in this regard is for our nation to boycott those who engage in exorbitant price increases.

"WE WILL BUILD HOUSING FOR OUR CITIZENS WITH FIXED INCOMES"

Housing rental prices are very important in the rise of inflation. We saw the impact of these factors on inflation in 2024. Now it is time to resolve them. We will take steps for housing that our citizens with fixed incomes can afford. We will allocate these especially to our young people who are starting a new home. 

"INTEREST RATES WILL FALL SO THAT INFLATION WILL ALSO FALL"

We will definitely start lowering interest rates. 2025 will be the year of signs for this. Interest rates will fall so that inflation will also fall. This is now our sine qua non. 

"THIS WAS THE FIGURE THAT BALANCES EMPLOYMENT, INFLATION, AND INCOME"

The most discussed topic of the last few days is the minimum wage issue, which is 22 thousand 104 TL. Some people cracked and burst. I'm sorry, but whether you crack or burst, we will take our steps by calculating. Although a 30 percent increase is higher than the inflation target, this is not a figure that might satisfy everyone or be the exact equivalent of the sweat of our laborers, but the figure is there, and it appears that this calculation has settled into place. It is a figure that balances employment, inflation, and income.

"IF THE EMPLOYER WANTS TO PAY MORE, THEY CAN PAY"

If the employer wants to pay more, let them pay. We are setting the base. If you are going to pay more, pay it; there is no one holding your hand. We are ensuring that there is no loss in employment."