TBB and İBB President Ekrem İmamoğlu made evaluations regarding the minimum wage, which was announced by the government as 22 thousand 104 liras net and will be valid as of January 1, 2025. Criticizing the government with the words, “They deceived people and made us experience a process that turned the money in their pockets into money,” İmamoğlu said, “Nobody should describe themselves as if they were in a garden of roses. Nobody should deceive our nation.” Emphasizing that IMM will inevitably increase social support projects, İmamoğlu said, “Because today’s government does not govern the country. It is only trying to protect its office. But this nation will withdraw that office that belongs to it, take that seat from under it and give it to someone else. It is that clear. May Allah help our nation. We stand by our nation. Mr. President can use the ‘decree’ that he uses a lot on this issue. Instead of saying ‘shake up the municipalities,’ they should shake themselves up. Let them regulate the minimum wage of the citizens with that decree he uses a lot. And let him say, 'I organized it for 6 months. I will organize it again in 6 months.' This is also advice,” he said. MALTEPE / ISTANBUL Union of Turkish Municipalities (TBB) and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu inspected the Maltepe Fındıklı Neighborhood Children’s Activity Center and Çınar Neighborhood Social Center construction sites, which are nearing completion. Accompanied by Maltepe Mayor Esin Köymen, İmamoğlu posed for souvenir photos with the workers and then made evaluations regarding the minimum wage, which was announced by the government as 22 thousand 104 liras net and will be valid as of January 1, 2025. “WE ARE A COUNTRY GROWING WITH VERY SERIOUS PROBLEMS” “We are a country struggling with very serious problems and issues, unfortunately, primarily economic problems,” said İmamoğlu and continued: “We are actually in exactly that place. We are in the Çınar Neighborhood right now in Maltepe. The building in front here will serve as the Alzheimer Center. We are receiving very high demand and we are producing structures that will provide more Alzheimer’s-focused services in many parts of Istanbul. We are producing areas that we brand as ‘İBB Kadın’ that will serve women especially in neighborhoods. And right below that is we just came here from the construction of another 6-classroom daycare center, on the Fındıklı side. Now we are in the Çınar Neighborhood. We have a 6-classroom daycare center here as well. Think about it; 240 children in two places. What does this mean? We will educate some of our 240 children here for free. Some of them will currently study for a monthly fee of 2,500 liras.” “THEY DECEIVED PEOPLE AND MADE US EXPERIENCE A PROCESS THAT WASTE THE MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS” “What are we struggling with? We are struggling with today’s brutal economic conditions. In fact, in many areas that are not our responsibility, we are trying to be with our citizens in difficult times by creating a contribution budget of billions, even tens of billions of liras. Because in such difficult times, it is possible to stand up and fix it with everyone's support. But of course, the basic issue, the basic problem, is the recovery of the economy, the solution of the economy. But the country's economy is facing such great destruction. And unfortunately, the country's economy, for exactly 8 years, I am expressing especially the last period, with irrational, unscientific methods that do not comply with any economic rules, with made-up minds, by deceiving people from night to night with certain discourses, let me tell you with a populist description, saying 'interest is the cause, inflation, the result' etc., they deceived people in the issue and made us experience a process that made money in their pockets worthless. And today, at the point we have reached, a minimum wage of 22 thousand liras has been announced. 22 thousand 104 liras. “THE MINIMUM WAGE WHICH WAS ANNOUNCED AS 17 THOUSAND 2 LIRA LIRA IS CURRENTLY 9 THOUSAND LIRA IN THE PEOPLE’S POCKET” “So do you know what this means? Look; last year, the minimum wage was announced as 17 thousand 2 liras on January 1, and this year, according to TÜİK data, we are faced with 47 percent inflation. Actually, the essence of the issue is this: The minimum wage which was announced as 17 thousand 2 liras last year is actually 9 thousand liras in the people’s pockets right now. The difference between the day it was announced last year and today is that clear. Our citizens receive 9 thousand liras. Because this is the difference between the minimum wage on January 1 and today. In fact, they are in a position that has increased by 30 percent to 9 thousand liras, and it is 22 thousand liras… When you look at the issue holistically, I think about it now, this country has over 16 million retirees. There are around 9 million minimum wage earners. Again, according to TÜİK