CHP Leader Özel: Either they will give the minimum wage a raise or we will have to force it to get it

While the government announced that it would not increase the minimum wage, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel continues to insist on this issue. Addressing citizens in Edirne, Özel reiterated that the minimum wage should be increased, saying, “Either they will give the minimum wage increase or we will have to force it. If you increase it, the problems will not end, but at least there will be a little bit of a living, but if there is no living, don’t worry, there will be an election soon.”

CHP LEADER ÖZGÜR ÖZEL IN EDİRNE

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel visited his party’s Edirne Provincial Office. During the visit, Özel was accompanied by CHP Secretary General Selin Sayek Böke, Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır, Deputy Chairman Responsible for Local Administrations Gökan Zeybek, Tekirdağ Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Candan Yüceer, Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey, Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Muhittin Böcek and Edirne Mayor Filiz Gencan Akın.

“WE COMPLETED THE LOCAL ELECTIONS AS THE FIRST PARTY AFTER 47 YEARS”

Addressing the crowd in front of the Provincial Directorate, Özel expressed his satisfaction with the election results in Edirne. “We will make some changes in the party administration in Edirne in the coming days. From that day on, we will all support our young president, our female president, and our party in Edirne,” Özel said, continuing his words as follows: “You were excited, you applauded, you supported us, you stood behind us, and we completed the first local elections we entered in the second century of the Republic as the first party after 47 years.

Now the first general elections of the second century of the Republic are coming. My mayor has a key in his hand. That key is the key to the door or the safe of the Edirne Municipality or the key to the power of the Republican People’s Party, the party of Atatürk. For this reason, together, our mayor will govern Edirne with honest, hardworking, thrifty, public-protecting projects that take care of its retirees, laborers, farmers, and tradesmen. We will stand behind Mayor Filiz and support her until the end.

“WE WILL HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO SAYS ‘THE FARMER AND THE VILLAGE ARE THE MASTERS OF THE NATION'”

Here, we will all together protect this family home and Atatürk’s legacy. Neither the CHP members, nor I, nor Kemal Bey, nor İsmet İnönü had the title deed to the family home… The title deed to the family home is registered to one person. That is Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Now we will all come together. We will all unite together and first we will make the Republican People’s Party the government, then we will have a president who says, “Farmers and peasants are the masters of the nation” instead of one who says to farmers, “Take your mother and go.”

“WE WILL MAKE THE RETIREMENT SALARY 1.5 MINIMUM WAGE”

From now on, we will support our tradesmen, our retirees and our workers. Of course, when we come to power, completely different things will happen. For example, when the AK Party came, the retirement salary was 1.5 minimum wage. If they had never touched, touched or interfered, our retirees would have received 26 thousand TL. They changed the system, now they receive 10 thousand TL. When we come, we will first make a minimum wage, then 1.5 minimum wage.

“THE FARMERS, THE RETIRED, AND THE MINIMUM WAGE WORKERS WILL BE SMILED”

We will give each of these supports as written in the law. They will support 1 percent of the national income, they give 2 per thousand. In other words, instead of giving 5 to the farmer, they give 1. The farmer will be happy, the retiree will be happy, the minimum wage earner will be happy, but for this to happen, we must first come to power. For this reason, we will support our mayors. Then we will support our party.

“WE WILL EMBRACE EVERYONE”

Then we will open the doors wide. The man left his father’s house to the AKP, he was devastated. He will come here, we will tell him ‘You are the apple of his eye’. The MHP member went somewhere else, saw their situation, came back. We will embrace everyone. Just as we said on the night we won the election, ‘Nobody is the other, nobody lost, there is no loser in this election’.

Everyone in Edirne should know that when this party becomes the number one party, it will not push anyone away, it will not reject anyone, it will support everyone from now on. You will see, we will all live those days together. It is not in vain that 65 percent of the population voted for CHP municipalities.

“IT’S NOT IN VALUES THAT THEY HANDED OVER 80 PERCENT OF THE ECONOMY TO US”

It is not for nothing that they handed over 80 percent of the economy to us. They have shared in the process of change for years, young candidates, women candidates, the union of experience and youth, our hope for power, our excitement. We will definitely protect this feeling. The upward trend has begun. We will always move forward. That is why we will not get caught up in minor issues. If there is a flaw, we will cover it up. We will end the discussions. Everything will be great from now on, it will be fine.

We held a labor rally last week. We said four things there. One, cancel the interest on credit cards; to tradesmen, villagers, and those who have individual difficulties. Divide the principal. Remove the 30 percent tax on it, and make people feel better. Two, base wages. For example, wheat should be 15 lira, they gave the cost. Increase the base prices, give a good price to sunflowers. Protect grapes, hazelnuts, tea, and citrus fruits.

“WE WILL GET THE MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE EASILY”

Thirdly, the retirement salary will not be 10 thousand liras. Bring it to a minimum wage level, and finally, make an inflation adjustment to the minimum wage. The minimum wage, which is 17 thousand liras today, is equivalent to 13 thousand liras on the day it was given. It will drop to 9 thousand liras towards the end of the year. We said this will not happen and objected. We repeat from here. Either they will increase the minimum wage or we will get it by force. If you increase it, the problems will not end but at least there will be a little bit of living, but if there is no living, don’t worry, there will be an election soon.