This time, I thought the retirees would breathe a sigh of relief. Not only me who thought so, but also the people around me thought the same. I don't know why such a thought dominated the retirees. However, the statements made, the increase in the minimum wage inevitably paved the way for the emergence of such an atmosphere among retirees.
In particular, it was thought that retirees would not be left behind the minimum wage while going to the elections. It didn't happen. Again, retirees lagged behind the minimum wage. Or rather, they were left. Especially with the announcement of the minimum wage for this year, it was not wrong to think that even if millions of retirees, who were sentenced to a monthly wage of 3 thousand 500 liras, could not be reduced to the minimum wage level, there would not be a big difference.
It has not been fully ensured that millions of retirees reach half the minimum wage, let alone the monthly hunger limit and the minimum wage. We can say that the generosity shown in the minimum wage was not shown to the retirees. In the words of an acquaintance, while the owners of power were generous from the purse of the employers, the same generosity could not be displayed when it came to the budget.
Let me point out right away that I do not think that the minimum wage announced for 2023 will make the employees prosperous. Moreover, some of the new minimum wage workers disappeared without being paid. In other words, the economic situation has not reached a point where the wages of employees and retirees will make you sigh deeply. The opportunity provided by the economic conditions did not meet the expectations despite all the pressures and the election year.
Let me point out right away that I do not want to characterize the announced figure as “they condemned the retired to starvation”. In fact, no matter how much the rulers paint the rosy picture of the economy, the country's resources go to meet the interests of the domestic and foreign debts. As such, there is no money left to distribute, especially to retirees.
It is necessary to see that the application declared as the Turkish economy model system, which is now being implemented, is bankrupt. Because this system is gradually destroying our middle-income people in our country, and the very rich and the poor are left behind. In short, the system being implemented is reflected in life as a system of taking from the poor and enriching the rich even more.
Meanwhile, at every opportunity, the rulers say that they are struggling with interest, that this is a necessity of nass. But the amount paid on interest continues to increase every year. In short, economically, the country has been drawn into a dead-end, and there are no signs that it will be able to get out of this dead-end in a short time.
In our country where the hunger limit is 8 thousand 130 liras, people still cannot find much to say next to millions of retirees whose income is below 4,500 liras. For this reason, the fact that the power holders keep the country in an environment of discussion in order to hide the economic situation into which the country is tumbled, is no longer enough to hide the deadlock in which the low and fixed incomes are tumbled.
As I mentioned in my previous article, we have reached a point that would be more accurate if the hunger and poverty line figures announced every month, especially by TÜİK, were not announced from now on. Because, on the one hand, the huge difference in the figures announced inevitably stretches the society.
In the meantime, the figures that the state institution TÜİK insistently announces inevitably lose their credibility in the society more and more every day. For this, it is beneficial to act together as a society in order to save the low-income and fixed-income people from the economic deadlock they are dragged into.
Note: I had just finished my article, when my son called and announced that the lower limit of pensions had been increased to 5,500 liras, the President had announced. In short, the 25 percent increase was found to be insufficient and it was increased by 5 points. Good luck to our retirees.