A debate in the Turkish parliament escalated into a new clash, forcing the session to be suspended twice during the debate on raising minimum pensions. The bill, which includes raising the minimum pension in Turkey to 20,000 liras (392 euros), was finally passed in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, but the leader of the opposition CHP party, Özgür Özel, has announced that he will appeal the measure to the Constitutional Court.
The bill, which amends several laws as well as Decree Law No. 375, and includes a provision for the increase of the minimum pension, received the green light in the Grand National Assembly and will come into force after signature by the President of the Republic, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and publication in the Official Gazette, Turkish media reported.
The lowest pension in Türkiye, currently at 16,881 liras, was initially to be increased to 18,939 liras, marking an increase of 12.19%. However, after the Turkish president ordered “to increase it in line with budgetary possibilities“, a further improvement was added and the government decided to raise the minimum pension finally by 18.48% to 20,000 liras, benefiting millions of pensioners. This increase of 3,119 liras in the lowest pensions will be applied retroactively from 1 January.
Opposition MPs, however, denounced the increase as insufficient given the context of high inflation and rising living costs across the country. Tension erupted during the parliamentary debate on the evening of 22 January, when the CHP MP for Malatya province, Veli Ağbaba, tried to approach the podium with a coffin and a cardboard tombstone as a symbol of protest over the situation of pensioners. The deputy speaker of parliament, Celal Adan, then intervened, saying: “You can’t bring this here“.
Opposition to challenge the increase before the Constitutional Court
MPs from Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) then tried to snatch the cardboard coffin from the CHP MPs, at which point a clash broke out in the chamber, leading the deputy speaker to suspend the session. After the recess, Adan recalled that according to the chamber’s rules of procedure it is forbidden to introduce banners, posters or similar objects that disturb the order and tranquillity of the General Assembly.
A second fight broke out when Ağbaba again tried to bring the cardboard coffin to the podium to deliver his speech, prompting a second suspension by the vice-president. After this new clash and recess, the CHP MP returned to the lectern – now without the coffin – and criticised the government for not increasing the minimum pension sufficiently. After being put to a vote, the bill was finally passed in the Turkish parliament; but the leader of the main opposition party, Özgür Özel, announced that they will appeal the law to the Constitutional Court, as the CHP is demanding that the minimum pension be raised to match the minimum wage, which is currently around 28,000 liras (550 euros).
VOTE
EDITORIAL TEAM
🧿 About us
.
Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
…
📣 Your ADVERTISING on Hispanatolia
.
🤗 HELP US WITH A DONATION:
💗 Paypal
