Abdullah Güler, chair of the AKP parliamentary group, stated that the measure will increase the number of pensioners receiving the minimum payment from 4.01 million to approximately 4.9 million. The adjustment requires a transfer of 69.5 billion lira ($1.6 billion) from the central budget. Güler acknowledged that the new threshold is insufficient for many beneficiaries, stating, “Is it sufficient? Of course not. But our economy and our budget have been stretched to their limit.”
The government emphasizes that the increase was calibrated to avoid undermining fiscal discipline or the ongoing fight against inflation. The bill also includes a modest rise in the state’s minimum wage support for employers, increasing it from 1,000 lira ($23) to 1,270 lira ($29). The proposal is scheduled for debate in the parliament’s Planning and Budget Committee next week, followed by a floor vote. Final implementation requires President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s signature and publication in the Official Gazette.
“This is not a salary, it is charity,” said CHP lawmaker Veli Ağbaba. “The current income level leaves pensioners unable to meet basic needs.”
The announcement follows a parliamentary vote in which the AKP and its ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), rejected a motion by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) to launch an inquiry into pension levels and income inequality among retirees. CHP leader Özgür Özel criticized the government’s allocation of funds, arguing that resources are prioritized for corporate interests over social welfare. In a post on X, Özel noted that while the government hesitated to allocate 69.5 billion lira for pension hikes, it spends significantly larger sums on highway guarantees, tax write-offs for large companies, interest payments, and the Exchange Rate Protected Deposit (KKM) scheme.
“In this system, there are resources for the wealthy but not for retirees,” Özel said, warning that if the cost of living remains unaffordable in 2026, political consequences would follow. The controversy highlights the tension between the government’s disinflation targets and the rising cost of living for fixed-income households. Turkey currently has approximately 17.7 million pensioners, with individual payout levels determined by contribution amounts, duration of service, and retirement age.
The proposed 2026 pension floor arrives after a 15.75 percent increase earlier in the year, which had raised the minimum to 14,469 lira ($409.32) from a previous threshold of 12,500 lira. That earlier adjustment was implemented via legal amendment following the establishment of the minimum pension floor in 2019. The current legislative push seeks to further raise this floor amid ongoing economic pressures. While the net monthly minimum wage for workers was raised by 30 percent this year to 22,104 lira ($627), the pension increase lags behind broader wage adjustments, a disparity that opposition leaders argue exacerbates poverty among the elderly population.
