Turkey's Yildirim Kaya Calls for Pension Increase for Civil Servant Retirees

CHP Deputy Chairman Yıldırım Kaya warned that the promised seyyanen salary increase for civil servants has not been applied to retired staff, turning retirement into a serious loss of income. He noted that around 2.5 million retired public employees have been excluded from the increase promised before the May 2023 elections, when President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that the lowest civil servant salary would rise to 22,000 TL and that the raise would automatically be reflected in pensions.

Kaya urged that the seyyanen increase granted to active officials be fully transferred to retirees, that three years of unpaid differences be paid with legal interest, and that a permanent legal framework restore salary parity between serving and retired civil servants. He also criticized Education Minister Yusuf Tekin and called for the repeal of provisions in Law 7456 and the related decree that created the disparity. The CHP deputy called for swift legislative action to protect the social‑state principle and sustain public‑service employment.

The demand highlights a broader dispute over the government's fulfilment of pre‑election promises and the financial security of Turkey’s large public‑sector pension pool.