Retirees living in the Borçka district of Artvin explained that their pensions are not enough to make ends meet in the face of rising living costs. Speaking to the ANKA News Agency, retirees expressed that they are struggling to make it to the end of the month, particularly due to increases in basic food, fuel, and daily expenses.
Borçka retiree Selim Şentürk drew attention to the high prices and said it is impossible to live on a pension. Şentürk said, “Prices are high, diesel is high, the public cannot afford it. What should the people do? How can one live on a 23 thousand lira pension? May God give us ease. Yes, we are retired, thank God. We are retired, but I am working. I cannot live without working. 23 thousand liras is not enough, brother, it is not enough.”
Another retiree emphasized injustice, stating that the difference between salaries is not reflected in daily expenses. The citizen, who said that both employees and retirees buy the same product at the same price, said, “I am a retiree, I buy bread for 20 liras. The money I receive is 30 thousand liras. An employee earns an average salary of 80 thousand liras. They also buy bread for 20 liras. There is an injustice here. The retiree also buys bread for 20 liras. Where is the justice in this?”
‘THERE IS A GREAT IMBALANCE AMONG RETIREES’
Borçka retiree Mustafa Yılmaz Türk also stated that economic conditions are forcing retirees and that regulations should be made in the field of social security. Türk said, “The cost of living is obvious. The current state of the economy is not good at all. The situation of the retiree is not good at all. There is a great imbalance among retirees. The issue is not ‘Why does that person get that much salary?’, this needs to be corrected. An urgent law is also needed regarding social security.”
Retiree Nefi Hacı İbrahimoğlu said that he receives a monthly pension of 25 thousand 300 liras and that this money only covers household needs for a short time. İbrahimoğlu said, “This money only lasts for 10 days at home, you figure out the rest. Can we survive if we don't do other jobs? We handed over the work to the children, we are living off that. There are some hazelnuts, but that is gone too. We are selling them for nothing.”
Stating that he lives in a village and also has rental income, İbrahimoğlu noted that despite this, he cannot live as he wishes. “A person buys potatoes and onions and fills their stomach. But if I don't eat my meat or fish once a month, I cannot meet my basic rights,” said İbrahimoğlu, expressing his reaction with the words, “In my opinion, even for someone living in a village, if their income is below 50 thousand liras, they are hungry if they want to live like a human being.”
Different assessments also emerged during the interviews. One retiree stated that they were satisfied with their life and argued that preparation for the retirement period should be done while working. “I have a house, I have a car, my children have jobs. Nothing is better than good health,” said the retiree, adding that while they acknowledge that life is expensive, the pension should not be the sole source of livelihood.
Some retirees speaking in Borçka stated that hazelnuts and the villagers' products are not worth much, and that their income sources have narrowed. One citizen said, “Life is very difficult. Hazelnuts are not worth money, and the villager's goods are not worth money either. I don't know what will happen. Both the citizens and we are confused. The retiree is in a pitiful state and making a living has become difficult.”
News Source : 12punto
