Salaries evaporated in 3 months.

The 25 percent increase granted during the second semester, which covers the July-December period, to retirees and employees oppressed by the high cost of living, became negative and zero in three months. According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), consumer inflation has increased by 25.11 percent in the last three months since July, virtually erasing the six-month increase. The Inflation Research Group (ENAG) also announced that inflation for the last 3 months was 30.57 percent.

With high inflation occurring in three months, the purchasing power of employees and retirees lagged behind the purchasing power of salaries before the July increase. The purchasing power of the lowest pensions of 7,500 lira, which have not increased since the beginning of the year, has decreased by 50 percent according to TÜİK and around 95 percent according to ENAG.

The salary of the lowest single and childless civil servant was increased to 20,352 lira at the beginning of July. The purchasing power of this official’s salary has melted in the face of rising prices since July, falling to 16,267 liras according to TÜİK and to 15,587 liras according to ENAG. The purchasing power of teachers’ salaries, which was 24,505 lira, decreased by 4,918 lira to 19,587 lira, according to TUIK, at the end of September. The salary loss for teachers amounted to 5,737 liras according to ENAG calculation. The police officer’s salary, which was 29,109 liras, decreased by 6,815 liras according to ENAG, falling to 22,294 liras.

DECREASED TO 8,732 LIRAS

The purchasing power of the minimum wage, which increased to 11,402 lira in July, could not withstand the increases. According to ENAG, the purchasing power of the minimum wage decreased by 2,670 liras to 8,732 liras at the end of September.

The purchasing power of retirees decreased by 3,840 TL

The purchasing power of retirees, who three months ago received a 25 percent increase, fell to -minus compared to the official inflation of 25.11 percent. The salary of the lowest retired civil servant, which was 8,657 liras last July, decreased to 6,920 liras according to TUIK and to 8,732 liras according to ENAG calculations at the end of September. The purchasing power of the lowest pension, which is 7,500 lira, decreased to 5,005 lira according to TUIK and to 3,840 lira according to ENAG.