16.01.2026 17:51
MHP Leader Devlet Bahçeli described the 20 thousand lira given to retirees as a "poverty wage," while MHP Aydın Provincial Chairman Haluk Alıcık stated, "This nation does not appreciate its situation; their expectations regarding money have increased. Lack of gratitude will be the end of this country."
MHP Aydın Provincial Chairman Haluk Alıcık stated regarding retirement salaries, "I am very disturbed by this. This nation does not appreciate its situation, and its expectations regarding money are increasing. Lack of gratitude will be the end of this country, and I am afraid of that. Of course, salaries are insufficient, I acknowledge that. But I say again, we need to increase the power of money. We need to increase purchasing power. We need to stop being a society where prices change in a day. The state must do something about all of this, from meat to rice, from duration to food, from clothing to everything," he said.
MHP Aydın Provincial Chairman Haluk Alıcık and Nazilli District Chairman Hasan Hüseyin Eren visited the Nazilli Journalists Association. Alıcık, who stated that he has completed his sixth year in the Provincial Chairmanship and has entered his seventh year, expressed that they have always adopted the approach of doing politics in the field, in direct contact with citizens.
BAHÇELİ'S WORDS WERE ASKED
During the visit, one of the journalists asked Alıcık, "You just expressed your criticisms regarding retirement salaries. Mr. Bahçeli also referred to retirement salaries as 'poverty wages' in the group meeting. Following this, two separate motions were submitted in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey for the investigation and increase of retirement salaries. However, these motions were rejected with MHP votes. Is there not a contradiction between this statement and this attitude?"
"WHERE WILL THE BUDGET BE ADJUSTED FROM, YOU HAVE NO IDEA"
Starting his speech by saying, "No, there is no contradiction here," Alıcık continued, "First of all, we need to look at who is managing the state. We need to see who submitted that motion. Are we going to beat the grape grower or are we going to do our job? This needs to be looked at carefully. As an opposition party, you can submit a motion, I acknowledge that. Look, the CHP says, 'the minimum wage should be this much.' Well, which one have you implemented? Talking to the press does not solve these issues. You may have submitted a motion in the parliament, but your motion will be carried out through the AK Party and the Nationalist Movement Party. They should not take offense; we are also doing politics. You have no idea where the budget will be adjusted from, you have no idea where the money will come from. Whatever our Nationalist Movement Party Chairman said, we will do that. Right now, our friends are working on retirement salaries. You seem to be missing the news. The proposal for the lowest retirement salaries to be 20 thousand lira will come with a second proposal that will raise the upper limit as much as they can," he said.
"THIS NATION DOES NOT APPRECIATE ITS SITUATION"
Continuing his words, Alıcık said, "Lack of gratitude will be the end of this country, and I am afraid of that. We, as the Turkish society, need to address the pollution in our consciences. If I were in an authoritative position in our state, I would first bring a single standard for basic necessities, saying, 'for one year, meat will be this price, rice will be this price.' For God's sake, don't you see that when a tiny price increase is made, the prices in the market change when you go? The producer does not earn. The consumer is victimized. All the middlemen are somehow making it work. You might say, 'as a state, you can supervise these.' I acknowledge that, but who is the state made up of? It is made up of you, me. It is made up of all of us. If we cannot keep our state standing, what are you talking about? This needs to be looked at. I am very disturbed by this; this nation does not appreciate its situation, and its expectations regarding money are increasing. Lack of gratitude will be the end of this country, and I am afraid of that. Therefore, of course, we will support our retirees, our civil servants, our state, and everyone in need. We will continue to support them. Of course, salaries are insufficient, I acknowledge that. We need to increase the power of money. We need to increase purchasing power. We need to stop being a society where prices change in a day. The state must do something about all of this, from meat to rice, from duration to food, from clothing to everything," he stated.
BAHÇELİ HAD SAID "POVERTY WAGE"
The regulation proposing to raise the lowest retirement salary to 20 thousand lira was accepted in the TBMM Planning and Budget Commission. The retirement salary was also on the agenda of MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli. The MHP leader had expressed that he found the lowest retirement salary of 20 thousand TL insufficient during his party's group meeting.
Bahçeli referred to the lowest retirement salary raised to 20 thousand lira as 'poverty wage' and stated: "I must emphasize strongly that the problems of retirees are our problems, their expectations are our expectations. We must put our bodies on the line to improve the social and economic conditions of our brothers who receive the lowest retirement salary and whose numbers approach 5 million. We cannot be comfortable while they are suffering; we must raise them to at least a level where they can live humanely, not a poverty wage. We stand by our retirees until the end."