CHP to push for pension hike to match minimum wage

ANKARA

Main opposition leader Özgür Özel has announced that his Republican People’s Party (CHP) will propose raising the lowest pension to the level of minimum wage, vowing to continue to exert efforts to better their standard of living.

Özel addressed CHP deputies during a weekly gathering in parliament on Jan. 13 to explain his party’s position regarding economic problems, particularly over lowest retirement pension and minimum wage.

“The [ruling] Justice and Development Party [AKP] is hostile to the pensioners and friendly to the rich. Since coming to power in 2002, the AKP has preferred not to give the pensioners a share of economic growth,” Özel stated.

Recalling that CHP lawmakers continue a sit-in protest at the parliament for the rights of the pensioners for the past six days Özel said, stressing that the AKP is very unhappy with this because they don’t want this issue to maintain its place on the country’s agenda.

“There is one word President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has forgotten recently: The pensioners,” Özel stated.

The lowest pension was one and a half times more than minimum wage before the AKP came to power but now it is significantly less than it, Özel said, stressing that all political parties, including AKP’s main ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), are not happy with the recent increase of lowest pension.

“Therefore, we have a historic opportunity. Let’s stand together for our pensioners at the parliament and let’s equalize the lowest pension with the minimum wage,” he said.

The minimum wage is currently 28,075 Turkish Liras and the lowest pension is expected to be raised to around 20,000 liras through a legal amendment this week.