Erdoğan gave the instruction "Get educated"! Minister Işıkhan announced the amount of SGK debt that municipalities will pay.

President Erdogan criticized the opposition, which called for an increase in pensions, by criticizing the debts of municipalities. He said, "I would like to say to the leader of the CHP, honest politics requires standing behind the promises given. If you have the power, tell the mayors to reduce the prices of the services they have increased 3-4 times in 3 months, which they asked for votes by saying we will do it for free. If you want to benefit the retirees, give instructions for your municipalities to pay off their accumulated debts to the Social Security Institution. It is easy to say we will give a free tractor to the voter in the squares, but it is difficult to be a man of your word. Our Ministry of Treasury and Finance will start collecting the debts of municipalities at their source. There is no permission to spend the people's assets in different places. There is no simit for 25 kuruş."

"DEBTS NEED TO BE COLLECTED IMMEDIATELY"

Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan, who made evaluations on the subject in a live broadcast today, stated that the total premium debt of municipalities to the Social Security Institution (SGK) reached 96 billion liras and said, "Whatever needs to be done at this point, it is necessary to intervene in the situation in accordance with the procedure. The premium debts to SGK need to be collected as soon as possible."

Minister Işıkhan reminded that SGK covers the hospital, medication, and other treatment expenses of 85 million citizens and pays the monthly and holiday bonuses of 16 million retirees. Emphasizing that the ability to make expenditures and payments depends on the regular and complete collection of insurance premiums, which are the main source of income for SGK, Işıkhan said; "Before the local elections on March 31, we drew attention to the municipalities that accumulated premium debts to SGK and made a call for the municipalities to pay off their debts. We did not leave it as a mere promise, we sent debt notifications to all indebted municipalities through SGK, regardless of any party difference. Some municipalities showed the will to pay off their debts by taking our calls into account. I thank them for that. However, unfortunately, there are still quite a few municipalities that have not taken action despite all the warnings."

"MUNICIPAL DEBTS ARE INCREASING EVERY DAY"

Continuing his words by emphasizing that SGK should collect its receivables in accordance with the law after all the warnings, Işıkhan said; "Of course, this is not a path we prefer, but the premium debts of the relevant municipalities have increased and these debts are growing every day. Whatever needs to be done at this point, it is necessary to intervene in the situation in accordance with the procedure. The premium debts to SGK need to be collected as soon as possible. As of today, the premium debts of municipalities have reached a total of 96 billion liras, and 80% of this debt belongs to municipal companies. In fact, this is a national resource. It is a natural source of income that our citizens have earned for the budget with their work, production, and sweat on their foreheads. and it is a resource that should be used for the benefit of our citizens. Işıkhan stated that they are working not only to protect labor but also to prevent labor exploitation, and said, "Our goal is to collect premium debts to SGK, fight against the informal economy, and increase SGK's premium revenues by increasing employment, and to provide better opportunities to our citizens, especially our retirees. We are working for the revival and sustainability of a social security system that is a vital need for both the state and the nation." Işıkhan called for cooperation with indebted municipalities and said, "We are ready to provide all kinds of support to municipalities regarding the structuring of debts and the creation of payment plans. Our desire in this regard is to manage the collection process smoothly and easily."

"WE SHOULD NOT FORGET THAT WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT"

Emphasizing the importance of the social security system, Işıkhan said, "As a citizen of this country, we all need to understand very well the necessity of this process for SGK to become a healthy and stronger institution. Protecting the financial structure of our social security system and looking confidently into the future is our common responsibility. There is no you and me, there is us. We should not forget that we are all in the same boat. There are more paths to be taken, more horizons to be overcome for the Great Turkey ship with the support and harmony of all of us. I believe that if everyone fulfills their responsibilities properly, we will successfully achieve all our goals."