Metin Arhun says Northern Cyprus minimum wage falls short of family hunger line

Metin Arhun, president of the Turkish Cypriot Employers' Union, argued that the minimum wage in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus cannot be measured against the cost of living for a four‑person family. Citing data from the Turkish Cypriot Public Employees' Union, he noted the hunger line for such a family is 43,469 TL (about 10,867 TL per person). Using official statistics that the average household size is 2.93 persons with 1.19 workers per household, Arhun said a more accurate benchmark is the average household’s hunger line of roughly 31,841 TL.

He emphasized that wage policy should be based on scientific data, demographic realities, per‑capita national income, productivity gains and economic facts rather than populist rhetoric, and that the income of a household cannot be judged solely on a single minimum‑wage earner.