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Turkish labor and economic challenges

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2026-10-11 10:53 UTC → 2026-10-11 18:06 UTC · added ~~removed~~

During a labor workshop hosted by the İYİ Party in Ankara, political and labor leaders addressed Turkey’s economic challenges. İYİ Party Leader Müsavat Dervişoğlu criticized high inflation and the inadequacy of the minimum wage, noting that the hunger limit for a family of four significantly exceeds the net minimum wage. He also highlighted a gap between official unemployment figures and the broadly defined unemployment rate, which he claimed has reached 30.6%. Ergün Atalay, President of the TÜRK-İŞ Confederation, supported these concerns by emphasizing the struggles of minimum wage earners and pensioners. Atalay called for the permanent employment of subcontracted public sector workers and advocated for accountability regarding corruption and financial mismanagement. He noted that the 17 million workers, civil servants, unemployed, and retirees represented by the confederation constitute 65 percent of the country's population. Expanding on these critiques, Dervişoğlu noted that the minimum wage has effectively become the general wage for many professionals. He pointed to a discrepancy in inflation reporting, citing ENAG’s figure of 46.61% against official data. He provided specific figures from TÜRK-İŞ September data, stating the hunger limit for a family of four is 37,801 TL, while the net minimum wage is 28,075 TL, and the poverty limit has reached 123,130 TL. Regarding civil servants, projected salary increases for January 2027 are estimated between 6.78% and 8.01% based on various inflation scenarios. Dervişoğlu also addressed retiree grievances, specifically the ‘root monthly salary’ system, which he claimed results By October 2026, financial pressures have manifested in ~~zero effective raises~~ rising individual debt, which increased by 14% over six months, with credit card debt accounting for ~~millions~~ approximately 60% of ~~retirees, leaving many below the hunger limit.~~ that rise. Non-performing individual receivables also rose by 36.2%. In response to economic strain, several Turkish banks launched retiree promotion campaigns, with Şekerbank offering up to 35,000 TL and ING offering up to 32,000 TL.

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