Özel made a call to all political parties: Let's raise the retirement pension to this amount.

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, as part of his Kars program, first met with representatives of NGOs at a breakfast event. During the meeting, Özel listened to the problems and suggestions of the NGO representatives. He then attended the opening ceremony of the Kars Provincial Headquarters building, where he addressed the citizens in front of the building, making a call to other political parties regarding the pension salaries that fall below expectations.

"LET'S RAISE THE LOWEST PENSION TO THE LEVEL OF MINIMUM WAGE"

Özel stated, "Currently, the average rent in Kars is 11 thousand lira, which means when you divide the total rents paid by the number of houses, it comes to 11 thousand lira. You will pay a salary of 14 thousand 500 lira, and you will have a rent of 11 thousand lira, and you will say to live on 3 thousand 500 lira. If you pay rent with this salary, you will starve; if you feed yourself, God forbid, you will end up on the street." He continued, "For this reason, I once again call out to all parties in the Turkish Grand National Assembly from here; let’s come together and first raise the lowest pension to the level of minimum wage, and I repeat, under the CHP government, the lowest pension will be 1.5 times the minimum wage as it was before Erdoğan, we promise. I say to everyone who knows how to calculate; 'Let’s talk about Syria.' No. Let’s talk about pensions, let’s talk about minimum wage, let’s talk about the cost of living, let’s talk about other issues. Come and take a walk in Kars, what are the streets talking about, for God’s sake. I say once again; the real inflation is 81%. TÜİK showed it as 44% with a lot of fuss. You are giving a 30% raise to the minimum wage, and 11% and 14% to pensions. It is absolutely impossible to live on these salaries. A year ago, the 17 thousand 2 lira we didn’t like could buy 5 quarter gold, but today it can buy 4.5 quarter gold. So in a year, I said, '2 thousand 500 lira loss,' and with the quarter gold calculation, it is a loss," he expressed.

"WHO CAN LIVE ON 14 THOUSAND 500 LIRA TODAY?"

Özel emphasized that the lowest pension would be 14 thousand 500 lira by the order of President Erdoğan, saying, "Yesterday, we all observed inflation together. TÜİK announced inflation as 1%. What does TÜİK mean? The initials of the statistical institution that does not upset Tayyip Bey. It doesn’t upset Tayyip Bey, but it upsets you. Because 1% is normally calculated as 3% monthly inflation by the professors, TÜİK says 1%. What are they stooping to? A raise will be given to pensions based on that figure, to give 11% instead of 13% to civil servant pensions. To give 14% instead of 16% to worker pensions. In other words, it is a job they do to steal money from the pockets of pensioners. And there is also the lowest pension. Last year they made it 10 thousand lira, we rebelled for six months. In this inflation environment, they had made it 12 thousand 500 lira. Now there is once again a need for legal regulation. They will put a clause in the base salaries stating, 'The lowest pension cannot be below this.' It should be included. Our expectation is that the pension should be at least one minimum wage. When I say this, let it not sound too much to anyone's ears or eyes. The government that was in charge just before this government, the coalition government they criticized so much, Ecevit's government. The lowest pension was 1.5 times the minimum wage on the day it came to power. In today’s calculation, that was 33 thousand lira. Right now it is 12 thousand 500 lira, and they will make it 14 thousand 500 lira by the order of the President. Who can live on 14 thousand 500 lira today? Today, let an AK Party member or an MHP member come forward and say, 'It is possible to live on 14 thousand 500 lira,'" he stated.

"NATURAL GAS WILL BE PROVIDED TO HOMES AT HALF PRICE"

Özel stated that if they come to power, they will provide natural gas at half price in provinces where winter conditions are harsh, saying, "In the first elections, we will also take Kars Municipality as CHP, I promise you. First of all, from here, I want to express to those who govern Turkey, from Kars, where the temperature is below zero but the eyes of the people are warmed by their spirit; these cities are heated with natural gas. Districts without natural gas are heated with coal. In my hometown Manisa, the temperature is 15 degrees, and we say it is winter. Here, we held a rally yesterday at minus 17 degrees. Today, we are addressing you at temperatures below zero. I am in the square, I am on the street. I am with the people of Kars, while he is in a warm hall in Samsun, where he will have a provincial congress to applaud himself with those he appointed. He has no concern for the cold, for the state of the citizens, for the poor, for the pensioners, for the workers, for the tradesmen, for those who deal with livestock. His concern is the five-member gang, his concern is the forty thieves. Our concern is the children of the homeland, his concern is the children of ministers. Therefore, I am not saying to Mr. Erdoğan, 'Do this.' But I am saying; Mr. Erdoğan, today you can applaud yourself in Samsun, but under the CHP government, in Kars, Ardahan, Iğdır, Erzurum, Van, and everywhere where harsh winter conditions prevail, natural gas will be provided to homes at half price. I announce this from here," he said.