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The parliament has rejected a law proposal to increase the lowest retirement pension to the level of monthly minimum wage.
MP Ömer Fethi Gürer of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), who submitted the proposal, said that many retirees receive monthly pensions of about 1,500 lira amid the "economic depression."
"Retirees have fallen into a situation where they can't even meet their needs for heating, rents and lighting. The retirement pension is not enough even for a family of five to eat half a bagel for three meals a day," Gürer remarked.
Queues form in front of municipalities' cheap bread buffets "are full of retirees," he added.
According to the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK-AR), the pensions of 70 percent of the retirees were below the minimum wage in 2020.
The government last week announced the next year's minimum wage as 4,250 lira, up by 50 percent from this year (1 US dollar = 12.59 Turkish lira).
The bill was rejected by the votes of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies. (HA/VK)
