15.02.2025 11:21
Retirees in the Kadirli district of Osmaniye emphasized that holiday bonuses should be between 5,000 and 10,000 lira, drawing attention to the difficulties of making ends meet.
Retirees living in the Kadirli district of Osmaniye stated that the holiday bonuses should be between at least 5,000 and 10,000 lira. One retiree said, "The bonus should be 10,000 lira. Is 14,000 lira enough for a salary? You can see the state of the market," while another retiree expressed, "The bonus needs to be at least 10,000 lira. Everything is extremely expensive. It’s not enough, of course I can’t afford it. It’s hard to make ends meet, is it easy? Retirees are resisting, they are enduring."
THERE ARE THOSE WHO DEMAND 10,000 LIRA
Retirees shopping at the local market in the Kadirli district of Osmaniye expressed that the holiday bonuses should be between at least 5,000 and 10,000 lira. The retirees said:
- The holiday bonus should be 6,000 lira. My salary is not enough. I am a disaster victim and I pay rent. It’s not enough, it never is. We can’t make ends meet.
- I am retired. The holiday bonus should be 5,000 lira. My salary is not enough. I have some income besides my salary, that’s how I manage, otherwise it’s impossible.
- I am retired. The bonus needs to be at least 5,000 lira. My salary is not enough.
- The bonus should be at least 10,000 lira.
- The holiday bonus should be 10,000 lira. My salary is not enough. Where do we buy things? We come here and buy something, and it’s double or triple the price. The money I earn goes there. It goes before the end of the month.
- The bonus should be 10,000 lira. Is 14,000 lira enough for a salary? You can see the state of the market. The cheapest thing is 30 lira, 40 lira. We barely manage to get by.
- I am retired, the bonus should be at least 6,000 lira. My salary is not enough.
- The bonus needs to be at least 10,000 lira. Everything is extremely expensive. It’s not enough, of course I can’t afford it. It’s hard to make ends meet, is it easy? Retirees are resisting, they are enduring.
PAST YEARS' BONUS INCREASES
As retirees' expectations for the 2025 holiday bonuses increase, the final possibilities are becoming clearer considering the increases in past years and the current economic conditions. Following the January inflation exceeding expectations, the need for an increase in retiree bonuses has also risen.
Holiday bonuses, which started at 1,000 TL in 2018, were raised to 1,100 TL in 2021, 2,000 TL in 2023, and 3,000 TL in 2024 with a 50% increase. This trend of increase has led retirees to expect a similar raise for 2025.
ALL EYES ON PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN
It is still unclear whether there will be an increase in retiree bonuses. As stated by the Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan, the new figures that will emerge after the work, considering the additional burden that the new year bonuses will bring to the budget, will be submitted for approval to President Erdoğan.