Striking picture in paid military service: 1 in every 10 people could not pay the fee

Following fee increases in the paid military service program, striking data has been reflected in the public sphere. With the acceptance of the regulation submitted to Parliament by the AKP, the paid military service fee, which was 333 thousand 89 TL, rose by 25 percent to 416 thousand 361 TL. It has emerged that a significant portion of applications were canceled after rising costs made it impossible to make the payment.

1 IN EVERY 10 APPLICATIONS COULD NOT BE COMPLETED

CHP Manisa Deputy Bekir Başevirgen shared with the public the response given by Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler to his parliamentary question. Accordingly, the number of conscripts who applied for paid military service between 2021 and 2025 was announced as 987 thousand 645.

However, it was stated that 92 thousand 712 of these applications could not be finalized because payment was not made. It was expressed that this data reveals that approximately one in every 10 applications could not be completed due to economic reasons.

“THE GOVERNMENT SAYS THERE ARE MANY APPLICATIONS, BUT…”

Making evaluations in his statement, Bekir Başevirgen drew attention to the gap between rising fees and the purchasing power of citizens. Başevirgen used the following expressions:

“While the minimum wage and average salaries are eroding against inflation, paid military service is no longer accessible to a large segment. The government may look from the palace and say ‘there are many applications,’ but tens of thousands of those applications are being canceled because payment cannot be made. This picture is a document of the economy’s bankruptcy.”

The response to the parliamentary question also included data regarding those who are draft evaders and those who have failed to report for duty. Accordingly, it was stated that there were an annual average of 568 thousand draft evaders and 55 thousand 782 individuals who failed to report for duty between 2021 and 2026.

Stating that this data is linked to economic conditions, Bekir Başevirgen made the following assessment:

“This picture is not only an administrative problem but also an economic indicator. Because young people who are unemployed or working without security are trying to postpone their military service. Those who cannot pay the fee are pushed out of the system.”

“ECONOMIC CONDITIONS HAVE BECOME THE DETERMINING FACTOR”

Continuing his evaluations regarding the paid military service system, Bekir Başevirgen stated that military service obligations are shaped according to economic power. Başevirgen used the following expressions:

“With the picture that has emerged, we see that even military service obligations are shaped according to economic power. Although paid military service is presented as an equal option, the data shows us that our citizens whose income level is above a certain level can perform paid military service, while those without income wait, evade, or enter the penal process.”

“PAID MILITARY SERVICE FEE IS INACCESSIBLE TO LARGE SEGMENTS”

Stating that the fact that paid military service fees are not determined according to income level and are constantly increasing leads to the system appealing to a narrow segment, Bekir Başevirgen concluded his statement with these words:

“Official data clearly reveals that military service in Turkey is no longer just an obligation, but has also turned into an ‘economic filter.’ It is not possible for a young person earning minimum wage to save this money. The youth of this country are paying the price for the government’s wrong economic policies. The AKP may continue to boast about numbers, but we will continue to tell the story of the poverty behind those numbers.”

News Source: 12punto