Retirees see the rise as an ‘electoral bribe’

Cem YILDIRIM/ANKARA

Making a statement after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that the lowest pension had been increased to 7,500 lira on a television show he attended, Salman Hürkardeş, president of the All Retirement Union, said: “This increase is not a sincere application of the government and an intention to improve our situation, it is simply one of electoral bribes”, he said.

Hürkardeş stated that ‘they will not be fooled by the government that does not solve their economic and social problems’.

‘RETIRED LOVERS SUPPLIED’

hurkardes said:

“Now what happened suddenly, the AKP government and its president remembered the pensioner, he became a pensioner. There are elections on May 14. Presidential and parliamentary elections will be held. The theft and rent policy, which has been built on the perception of lies and looting for 21 years, which has impoverished retirees and society, enriched the rich and impoverished the poor, has actually bankrupted.

As the elections approach, the AKP government does not have the power, the will or the solution to deal with the economic crisis, unemployment, production and huge debts. Power is unmanageable.

‘THIS IS AN ELECTION BRIDGE’

At the moment, the AKP government is in trouble and in a panic.

On the one hand, it works hard to suppress all kinds of pressures, threats and opposition, on the other hand, it desperately resorts to electoral bribery.

This increase to our retirees, who receive the lowest salary, is a sincere application of power and is not really an intention to improve our situation, but simply one of the electoral bribes.

‘THE RETIRED CANNOT BUY’

Furthermore, at a time when the hunger limit exceeds 9,700 lira and the poverty line is 31,000 lira, this supposed increase is a very small, ridiculous amount and a long-awaited measure.

The government will not be able to buy the retirees with this insincere and bribery contrived move. Retirees will not play the game of the government, which has not put retirees on welfare for 21 years, has crushed inflation and the cost of living, and has not solved their economic and social problems, and will provide the necessary response in the elections.

‘WE WANT A LIVING SALARY HUMANLY’

Board is not enough for rent. The walks are raining like rain. We can’t pay the bills. There is a fire in the market, in the market, in the market and in the kitchen. We want to live humanly. We cannot earn a living.

We, millions of retirees, who are living the autumn of our lives, cannot live with a pension below the hunger limit and the minimum wage, which is given to us by the government as a charity. We want a decent living wage in the fall of our lives.”