Parliament set for busy week with pension, child crime bills

ANKARA

Türkiye’s parliament will have a busy agenda this week, with lawmakers set to debate a bill that would raise the minimum monthly pension payment, a defense mandate extension for Somalia and a proposed regulation concerning offenders under the age of 18.

The General Assembly will begin its weekly work on July 21 by discussing a motion signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to extend the deployment of Turkish Armed Forces personnel in Somalia for another two years.

The mandate allows Turkish forces to continue supporting Somalia’s efforts to strengthen security against terrorism and other threats under a defense cooperation agreement between the two countries.

Parliament will also debate a wide-ranging legislative proposal that includes a provision increasing the minimum pension payment to 23,552 Turkish liras (around $500) starting from July.

The bill also includes measures aimed at supporting employment in the manufacturing sector, extending until the end of 2028 a program financed through the Unemployment Insurance Fund that provides incentives to preserve jobs.

It also proposes social security premium support for accommodation facilities holding tourism operation certificates for the May-December period of 2026.

Under the proposal, internet platforms and conditional-access media service providers would be required to report 2 percent of their previous year’s annual net sales to the Culture and Tourism Ministry and deposit the same amount into the ministry’s revolving fund.

The bill would also grant the Cybersecurity Presidency authority to determine strategies and policies regarding internet domain names.

Meanwhile, the Justice Commission is set to discuss a regulation concerning crimes committed by people under the age of 18.

A parliamentary research commission established to examine school attacks in the provinces of Şanlıurfa and Kahramanmaraş, as well as risks faced by children in digital environments, will hear from ministry officials and continue its work on prevention measures.

The Foreign Affairs Commission’s subcommittee on Turks abroad will also meet to discuss issues on its agenda. Political parties with parliamentary groups are scheduled to hold their weekly group meetings on July 21 and 22.