Behind-the-scenes news on holiday bonuses to disappoint retirees

İsa Karakaş, a columnist for Türkiye Gazetesi known for his proximity to the government, has shared behind-the-scenes information regarding the amount of the holiday bonus to be given to retirees.

Previously, the bonus was kept fixed at 1,000 TL between 2018 and 2020 without taking inflation into account, and was increased by 10 percent in 2021 to 1,100 TL. The bonus, which remained unchanged in 2022, was raised to 2,000 TL in 2023, and increased by 50 percent to 3,000 TL in 2024 due to the influence of the election process.

"THE ANSWER IS A BIG NO..."

Karakaş emphasized that if the bonus were indexed to the minimum wage, it should be at the level of at least "13,705 TL" today, stating that it is not possible for this figure to be provided. He expressed that expectations would not be met with the words, "From the follow-up and behind-the-scenes information we have gathered in Ankara, the answer is, of course, a big no."

Karakaş wrote, "Let's not beat around the bush; the economic management's red line in updating the bonus is the targeted inflation expectation. Since there are over 16 million 600 thousand retirees and beneficiaries, every penny is calculated as an additional burden on the budget. In this case, the bonus increase is permitted to be updated to a maximum of 3,720 TL."

Karakaş stated, "It is being discussed that this figure might be raised to 4,000 TL with the initiative of our President, in line with the views of the party organization and members of parliament, in order to neutralize the reaction of retirees who were not given a welfare share or a flat-rate raise. Therefore, I can say that the bonus increase will not exceed 4,000 TL."

News Source: 12punto