Deniz Yücel makes statements regarding the MYK agenda: 'Minimum wage should be at least 25,000 TL'

CHP Party Spokesperson Deniz Yücel made a statement regarding the agenda of his party's Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting while it was still in progress.

Yücel stated the following:

"We have left behind the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation, which we celebrated with great pride and enthusiasm. The struggle for independence of the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey's determined stance have gone down in history as a victory for peace and justice. We once again commemorate our heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the success of the operation with mercy, and we offer our gratitude to our veterans. As you all know, our Chairman, Mr. Özgür Özel, held a series of meetings in Cyprus. These visits took place within the framework of diplomatic rules, in a sincere and courteous manner.

However, we encountered an extremely inappropriate attitude in Nicosia. While everything was proceeding within the framework of diplomatic conventions as it should, the ambassador serving in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus refrained from welcoming our Chairman and appearing side-by-side with him. He thought he was sending a message in his own way. He also displayed this inappropriate and disrespectful behavior toward our former chairmen and foreign ministers. This behavior by Cyprus Ambassador Metin Feyzioğlu, who did not welcome our Chairman Mr. Özgür Özel, is contrary to diplomatic conventions.

'We will not remain indifferent'                                                         

This disrespect is an insult not only to the CHP but also to the democratic values and diplomatic traditions represented by the Republic of Turkey. An ambassador's duty is to safeguard the interests of the state and the nation at the highest level. Ambassador Feyzioğlu's failure to welcome the CHP delegation has shown that he has displayed an attitude far from the impartiality, gravity, and state seriousness required by this duty.

This weathercock, whose past is known to everyone, whose position is unclear, and whose stance and attitude are shaped according to his momentary personal interests, can belittle himself as much as he wants, and lower himself as much as he wants. However, he cannot do this while representing the Republic of Turkey. For state officials to discriminate between political parties harms our democracy, state seriousness, and the rule of law. Therefore, we will not remain indifferent to this inappropriate attitude.

'When MOODY'S raises our credit rating, Aunt Ayşe's pot does not boil'

We have been listening to a success story from Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek every week that is far from reality. One week they say 'we succeeded' as if they have pulled the country out of its economic depression, and the next week they say 'our economic program is working like clockwork.' But there is nothing reflected in the people's pockets. On the contrary, hunger, poverty, and misery are compounding day by day. This week, we heard from Mr. Şimşek that credit rating agency Moody's upgrading our credit rating by two notches is a great success story. Our rating has risen from B3 to B1. It was announced with great fanfare, but according to Moody's, we are still not even among the investment-grade countries.

But no one mentions this painful truth. The fact that our country cannot enter the ranks of investment-grade countries even though our credit rating has increased by two notches is actually proof of how many years they have set Turkey back. These brazen attitudes of the AKP government and Mehmet Şimşek, whom they brought to office to save the economy, are nothing more than mocking the nation's intelligence and testing its patience. This is now something beyond painting a rosy picture.

While they save money from the labor of the worker, the laborer, the retiree, and the farmer, there is not a gram of reduction in the extravagance of those who create resources for themselves. The palace and its cronies, who still have one hand in oil and the other in honey, do not feel the economic crisis even in the slightest. Understand this, brother. Just because you say 'we succeeded' does not mean we have succeeded. When Moody's raises our credit rating, Aunt Ayşe's pot does not boil, and Uncle Ahmet's debts do not end. When we truly succeed, the people must feel it in their homes; this situation must be reflected in price tags and the pot in the kitchen.

'It is not possible to speak of economic success'

Mr. Şimşek claims that the credit rating has increased thanks to the program they are implementing. However, the people's purchasing power has fallen; while they struggle to meet their basic needs, and the economic crisis, rising unemployment, and inflation that we all experience are evident, it is not possible to speak of the success of the economic program. Their attempts to deceive the public with such manipulative statements are at least as painful as what the economic crisis has caused. The gentleman talks about 'rebalancing in the economy and decreasing external financing needs.' However, the real situation is 'an economy that has become a wreck, trying to survive on foreign debt and short-term loans.' While our country is crushed under the burden of foreign debt, how can they claim that the economy is balanced? Claims of increasing international reserves and a disinflation process are completely a deception. Increasing reserves is a temporary situation, and the disinflation process means nothing as long as it is not felt in the daily life of the people. The real inflation figures and the economic difficulties our people are experiencing are clear. Maintaining a positive outlook is not an indicator of confidence in their program, but a sign that international financial institutions are watching Turkey closely. Trying to pull the wool over our people's eyes with these statements only deepens economic problems further.

'Why doesn't your program, which you cannot stop praising, increase prosperity?'

Let us ask Şimşek, who says they are implementing 'rule-based and predictable policies that increase the resilience of the economy'; why do those rules only apply to the citizen on the street? Why don't those rules apply to your bureaucrats who receive double salaries, your state-of-the-art official vehicles, your private jets, your bridges with toll guarantees, your highways, your airports with passenger guarantees, and your city hospitals with patient guarantees?

Why can't your program, which you cannot stop praising, increase the prosperity of the people? Why are economic difficulties deepening day by day? And you; while our people's quality of life is falling day by day, how can you still shamelessly claim that the economy is sound? Mehmet Şimşek's Moody's statements are, in the literal sense, black propaganda aimed at misleading our people and are far from reality. The solution to our economic problems is possible not with manipulative statements, but with policies aimed at the real needs of the people. Everyone who does not feed off this system, this order of plunder, must see and voice these truths.

'Are you doing the retirees a favor?'

The AKP government does not stop talking about the cost of the 12,500 lira pension, which is a starvation and misery wage they deem appropriate for retirees. They say, 'You don't like it, but it costs us 33 billion liras.' One should have a little conscience. One should have a little fairness. They are not ashamed at all while saying this, but the same shameless people do not mention that they have canceled the 5-point support premium provided to employers from the Social Security Institution (SSK) and that they have provided resources to the budget from here. The first 6-month return of the support premium they canceled to the treasury is 128 billion Turkish liras. You talk about the 33 billion lira cost to the budget of the 2,500 TL raise you gave to retirees, but you do not mention the 128 billion lira return of the support premium you canceled. Are you paying the money you give to retirees out of your own pockets? Are you doing the retirees a favor? What do you think governing a country is?

'The minimum wage should be at least 25,000 TL'

What I am about to tell you now is not a joke. The Social Security Institution (SGK) is launching a site called 'emekliler.gov.tr'. On this site, healthy living suggestions are listed for retirees. Retirees who have to look for rotten vegetables and fruits at the market because they cannot keep up with kitchen expenses are supposed to do meditation and yoga to cope with stress. Also, retirees should acquire new hobbies. For example, they should play a musical instrument. This was the only thing you hadn't done to mock the retirees who are trying to survive in the country you have ruined. Being able to tell a citizen who can barely feed themselves to do yoga is not funny at all if it's a joke. If it's not a joke, the situation is even more dire. This is proof that they have completely lost their minds.

We are now fully convinced of this; AKP officials do not go to the market, do not mingle with the people, and do not listen to the troubles of retirees. But they love to give the message that 'everything is getting better' from where they sit. Normally, the price of vegetables and fruits falls in the summer months. This year, like every product, their prices are also increasing. All agricultural inputs such as diesel, fertilizer, medicine, seeds, and feed are imported. As the foreign exchange rate increases, their prices also increase. Products are getting more expensive. Can a single lemon be 12 liras? A kilo of green beans is 60 liras. A kilo of pears is 200 liras. If prices are like this in the summer, who knows what they will be like in the winter? The shopping bags are empty, but inflation has fallen, is that so? As for ÇAYKUR, it is practically persecuting the tea producer. First, they set a price like 17 liras, and now they have lowered the purchase quota.

Tea is left in the hands of the producer. Tea is rotting in sacks. The private sector buys tea at an even lower price. Can a government be this heartless? Do you have no fairness at all? In such an environment, the salary deemed appropriate for retirees is 12,500 liras. And Erdoğan, without any shame or embarrassment, said to the opposition criticizing the joke-like raise they gave to the pension, 'They have no burden on their backs. We measure, we weigh.' Mr. Erdoğan... You are not aware, but the real burden is on the backs of the 'retiree, the laborer, the worker, and the tradesman.' Whatever you are measuring and weighing, you are measuring it wrong. While even the minimum wage has remained below the hunger threshold, the wage you measured, weighed, and calculated is 12,500 liras, is that so? We warn the government once again. The lowest pension should be raised to the level of the minimum wage, and the minimum wage should be at least 25,000 liras.

When the AKP came to power, the lowest pension could buy eight quarter-gold coins. Today, unfortunately, the pension cannot buy 3 quarter-gold coins. At least five and a half quarter-gold coins have gone out of the retiree's pocket. We will hold them accountable for the gold stolen from our retired citizens. Let us also address our retired citizens; look for the 5.5 quarter-gold coins you lost at the ballot box. Because what did we say; 'if there is no livelihood, there will be an election.'

'We will continue to be the voice of retirees'

While they should have made a single-type regulation regarding retirees' salaries, while the differences between retirees should have been eliminated by enacting an adjustment law, while the premium update coefficient, monthly accrual rates, and lower limits of monthly payments should have been determined with equity, the AKP's latest plan is to raise the retirement age to 65. Whenever the AKP says it will make a regulation regarding retirement, there has been a regression in retiree rights. The most devastating one is the change made in 2008. With this change, the retirement age was raised, monthly accrual rates were lowered, and the conditions for qualifying for retirement were made more difficult. We warn the AKP once again; if you think you will change the retirement system and force our people into 'retirement in the grave,' you are mistaken. Let us remind you; EYT (Retirement at Age of Entitlement) was enacted with our pressure. Thousands of people who were victims received their rights. If you try to play a new game against the workers, you will find us in front of you. The most beneficial thing you can do regarding retirement will be to increase retirement pensions. As the CHP, we will continue to be the voice of retirees.

'Resources are transferred to cronies, not the nation'

Last week, another example emerged that the resources of our country and state institutions are not transferred to our nation, but to cronies, certain individuals, and groups. While Turkish Airlines was sending our nation's pride, the Sultans of the Net, on a 13-hour US journey in economy class with cramped seats; it turns out that on the other hand, it had granted unlimited privileges to sects, cronies, and associations close to them. Thousands of free tickets were given between 2018-2021. Tons of luggage and cargo were carried for free. Discounted trips were made, and they flew in the upper class. Favors were done for sects, associations seen as close, and friends and acquaintances. These people do not fear God and are not ashamed of people. Millions of liras are transferred to sects and cronies, and then they set their eyes on what the civil servant and the worker earned with their sweat.

'The greatest misfortune that has befallen the children of this country'

Another issue we want to touch upon is that in recent days, Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin said that French Schools in Turkey should be affiliated with the Ministry of National Education (MEB) and that education should be provided in these schools according to the MEB curriculum. The ministry is determined not to make concessions on this issue. However, in one of these French schools; the child of Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Göktaş, who says 'We will raise children committed to our national and spiritual values,' was also attending.

Does Ms. Mahinur Göktaş not like the education or curriculum in state schools that she sends her child to French schools instead of sending them to Turkish schools? Or has she given up on her national and spiritual values when it comes to her own child? This debate, which pitted two ministers against each other, has once again shown us the double standard in our country's education system and that quality and qualified education has now become a class issue in this country. Those who have money can still find a way to keep their child away from this curriculum, which has been overshadowed by sects, but the child of someone who does not have the money to send their child to a private school is exposed to this curriculum, which is far from science and modernity.

Look at me, Yusuf Tekin. Even your own people do not like this dark curriculum, which is a reflection of your mentality. Are you willing to throw your own children into that pitch-black darkness you are trying to throw the bright children of this country into? You are the greatest misfortune that has befallen the children of this country, Yusuf Tekin. We will continue to stand against both your dark mentality and you.

'The President of Religious Affairs thinks he is the Sheikh ul-Islam'

There is a President of Religious Affairs who is mind-boggling. The man officially thinks he is the Sheikh ul-Islam. In the Friday sermon he read at the Düzce Akçakoca Central Mosque last Friday, he spouted nonsense about 'women needing to cover up except for their faces, hands, and feet, and that women and young people should marry at an early age.' This insolent man, who lives in luxury with the unlimited budget of the Diyanet, seems to have forgotten that according to our Constitution, the Republic of Turkey is a “Democratic, secular, and social state of law.” If you have forgotten, we will remind you, Ali Erbaş. You cannot interfere with people's clothing, lifestyle, or at what age they will marry, even through suggestion and advice. Know your place. This is the Republic of Turkey founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. In Turkey, women can decide for themselves at what age they will marry. In Turkey, women will not be stuck between four walls just because you want them to be.

'The time has not been clarified'

Yücel, who also answered journalists' questions, said, "This issue is already a topic on our agenda. For some time, the necessary communication and necessary work have been carried out through diplomatic channels regarding this issue. We can state that our Chairman, Mr. Özgür Özel, will meet with Syrian President Mr. Assad in the coming days, in the coming period. However, the date, place, and time of this meeting have not yet been sharpened or clarified," he said.

News Source: 12punto

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