T24 News Centre
The Republican People’s Party (CHP) hosted a major retiree rally in Ankara’s Tandogan Square, attended by retirees and workers from Turkey’s 81 provinces. At the rally, where representatives of retiree unions took to the stage to explain retiree issues, CHP Chairman Ozgür Ozer said, “Turkey cannot return to normal until the retiree economy returns to normal.”
Speaking at the rally, CHP’s Ozgur Ozer asked rally participants how much they were being paid, and in response to the answer “10,000 lira,” Ezer said: “This is the saddest song sung by the world’s largest choir.”
Thousands of retirees gather at Tan Doan Square
Retirees from across the country filled the square from early morning, shouting slogans to express their demands. Members of DİSK Emekli-Sen, the All Pensioners’ Union, the Independent Pensioners’ Union, the Turkish Retired Non-Commissioned Officers’ Association and many non-governmental organizations also took part in the rally.
Click – Scenes from the big retirement gathering
Özgür Özer: Retirees are not worried about staying in a dormitory, they are worried about paying their own rent and having food.
CHP Chairman Ozgur Ozer spoke at the rally. Here are the main points of Ezer’s remarks:
“The announced pensions were a harbinger of future poverty. We will be the voice of retirees in Turkey’s 81 provinces. This is the saddest song sung by the world’s largest grove. If you don’t solve the problem of retirees, we said. The squares and streets are ours. If they hear this voice or I don’t stop, I will tear your rights apart.”
We turn 65,000 guesthouses in the summer, that is, student dormitories with a total capacity of 65,000 people, into guesthouses for retirees during the summer. They are mocking. The retirees say, “I’m hungry,” and we say, “Go to the dormitories and take a vacation.” The retirees can’t go out, they say, “Go to the dormitories in Cesme, go to the dormitories in Antalya, go to the dormitories in Mersin.” Please note here that all the capacity is used, only one out of 250 retirees can go, but no one can go because the retirees are not worried about staying in the dormitories, they are worried about paying rent and eating themselves. If you rent a house with the money you give them, you will be hungry, and if you eat yourself, you will be left on the street. This system is unfortunate. We will change it.
When this government came to power, the minimum pension was 4/8 of a gold. Now 10,000 lire cannot buy 2.5 gold. There is a plan to take 5.5 gold per month and run away. If they do not listen to you, we will hold them accountable at the first voting booth. Apart from those who retire, there are those who cannot retire. Victims of internships and apprenticeships. Their children worked as interns, their insurance started and they were paid. But the victims did not retire, saying “it does not start from that day.” NCOs cannot retire. When they retire, their salary is halved. When he becomes an adult, he is dragged into a miserable situation. We will defend the personal rights of people who work at all levels. Within the first 100 days of the rule of the CHP government, legal regulations will be completed immediately and the minimum pension will be raised first to the minimum wage, and then after two years to 1.5 times the minimum wage that had been left unchanged. We promise”
Addressing party leaders, particularly President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdogan and MHP leader Debret Bahceli, Özer listed his proposals for retirees.
Let’s make it a legal regulation that the minimum pension must never fall below the minimum wage at any time.
Raise insurance premium regulation coefficients, monthly contribution rates, and salary floors fairly.
Let’s enact adaptive legislation and eliminate the distinction between pre-2000, 2000-2008, and post-2008.
Eliminate drug copayments, price differences, and testing fees, which are a serious burden for retirees.
This retiree lost his leg from an orthotic to a prosthetic leg while working for this country. His prosthetic leg is in tatters and he is being given 1/30th of what he should have received. The best orthotics and prosthetics should be paid to the retiree immediately and he should be given the right to form a trade union.
Severance pay should be increased to the minimum wage level
Holiday bonuses for those retiring from private funds of institutions, banks etc. and those retiring from private banks’ own funds should be equalised and copayments for medicines should be reduced. They should be given promotional pay.
Retirees must be issued retirement cards.
Electricity and natural gas rates should be reduced by 25 to 40 percent.
The issues of those waiting for retirement, casualties of internships and apprenticeships, and veterans should be addressed.
Transportation issues for people over 65 should be resolved with state funds through legislation, without bringing people over 65 face to face, in a way that takes drivers and businesses into consideration and never offends the public. Yet another retiree.
Stop cutting SSI applications for retirees who need to work.
Retiree loans and credit card debt should be eliminated once and spread out over 5 years with all interest removed, saving retirees from this hump.
Tax fairness must be ensured and indirect taxes must be phased out to zero.
Click – Pensioners flock to Ankara: our fridges and shopping bags are empty, but our anger is growing and our voices are getting louder.
