[Turkey] 45% public worker pay hike just days before election

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that the Turkish government is raising its workers’ salaries by 45 per cent just five days before the country votes in its presidential and parliamentary elections, Al Jazeera reports.

Polls have President Erdogan in a tight race with Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the main opposition presidential candidate.

The president reportedly announced the pay rise on May 9 at a meeting in Ankara to discuss the economic and social rights of public workers through a framework called the Public Collective Bargaining Agreement Framework Protocol.

“We are increasing wages by 45 per cent, including the welfare share,” Erdogan said, according to a statement on the government’s website. “Thus, we are raising the lowest public worker wage to TL15,000 [$768 per month].”

President Erdogan added that he would continue to work on raising the wages and pensions of civil servants, “In July, we have preparations based on the inflation difference and welfare share.”

The Turkish economy is reportedly a key issue as Sunday’s elections approach. Unorthodox interest rate cuts sought by Erdogan provoked a devaluation of the Turkish lira in late 2021 and sent inflation to a 24-year high of 85.5 per cent last year.

Turkey’s struggling economy - still feeling the impact of devastating double earthquakes in February - has been a thorn in the side of Erdogan’s campaign for re-election.

The president has led Turkey for 20 years and is currently campaigning on a promise of lowered interest rates as a way to tackle the economic crisis. He has promised to slash inflation to single digits and boost economic growth.

Source: Al Jazeera

(Links and quotes via original reporting)

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that the Turkish government is raising its workers’ salaries by 45 per cent just five days before the country votes in its presidential and parliamentary elections, Al Jazeera reports.

Polls have President Erdogan in a tight race with Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the main opposition presidential candidate.

The president reportedly announced the pay rise on May 9 at a meeting in Ankara to discuss the economic and social rights of public workers through a framework called the Public Collective Bargaining Agreement Framework Protocol.

“We are increasing wages by 45 per cent, including the welfare share,” Erdogan said, according to a statement on the government’s website. “Thus, we are raising the lowest public worker wage to TL15,000 [$768 per month].”

President Erdogan added that he would continue to work on raising the wages and pensions of civil servants, “In July, we have preparations based on the inflation difference and welfare share.”

The Turkish economy is reportedly a key issue as Sunday’s elections approach. Unorthodox interest rate cuts sought by Erdogan provoked a devaluation of the Turkish lira in late 2021 and sent inflation to a 24-year high of 85.5 per cent last year.

Turkey’s struggling economy - still feeling the impact of devastating double earthquakes in February - has been a thorn in the side of Erdogan’s campaign for re-election.

The president has led Turkey for 20 years and is currently campaigning on a promise of lowered interest rates as a way to tackle the economic crisis. He has promised to slash inflation to single digits and boost economic growth.

Source: Al Jazeera

(Links and quotes via original reporting)