Retirees’ Union in Türkiye: “We Will See You at the Ballot Box”

The demonstration was organized by the union’s Çankaya branch on Sakarya Street, where retirees gathered behind a banner reading “We Cannot Make Ends Meet.” Protesters carried placards demanding improved pensions and economic justice for retirees.

Participants chanted slogans such as “We are the square, we are the voice, we are the power,” “The solution is organized retirees,” and “Withdraw Law No. 5510, we want a fair law.” They also called for an additional payment of 20,000 lira for all retirees.

Speaking on behalf of the union, Çankaya branch chair Adem Çiftçi criticized government policies, stating that pension incomes have been steadily eroded over the years and that holiday bonuses have fallen to levels that “mock retirees.” He argued that retirees are not a burden on the country but rather the people who spent decades contributing to its prosperity.

Çiftçi also claimed that significant funds allocated for retirees were not spent. According to him, the Social Security Institution had planned to spend 451 billion Turkish lira on retirees last year but failed to do so. He added that despite official inflation figures of 4.84% in January and 2.96% in February, the real cost of living faced by citizens is far higher than the data suggests.

Union representatives further argued that millions of retirees continue to live below the poverty line while government officials claim that Türkiye has reached the level of a high-income country. They criticized the government for allocating large resources to interest payments, infrastructure guarantees and corporate incentives while citing budget constraints when it comes to retirees.

According to the union, for many retirees holidays have become a source of anxiety rather than celebration, as mounting credit card debts, unpaid bills and empty kitchens overshadow the occasion. They stressed that declining pension incomes and symbolic holiday bonuses represent not only an economic problem but also a matter of social justice.

The union listed several demands, including raising the minimum pension to the level of a newly hired civil servant’s salary, compensating retirees for accumulated real income losses, granting retirees a share in economic growth and removing obstacles to retirees’ right to unionize.

Çiftçi concluded by saying that retirees would continue their democratic struggle and warned the government: “Retirees will claim their rights and change this unjust order through democratic means. We will see you at the ballot box.