Turkey union calls for free school meals amid rising costs

The Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim-İş) has reported that the monthly cost of a student's lunchbox in Turkey has increased by 6.20 percent in a single month, reaching 2,147 lira. The union noted that this expense represents 7.65 percent of the monthly minimum wage and 9.12 percent of retiree income.

Eğitim-İş highlighted that economic conditions are preventing some children from attending school due to an inability to afford adequate nutrition. The union is calling for the state to provide one free meal per day to all students, arguing that healthy nutrition is a public responsibility rather than a matter of family economic power.

Furthermore, the union criticized government budget priorities, pointing out that 4.058 billion lira was transferred to the Türkiye Maarif Foundation in the first nine months of the year. The union claimed that the 2 billion lira transferred to the foundation in September alone could have covered the monthly nutritional needs of approximately 931,150 students.