Erdoğan raises salary by 8.3 pct days after urging citizens to show 'patience' in face of financial problems

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's salary has been raised by 8.3 percent to a total of 88,000 Turkish Liras, as part of a budget proposal submitted by the ruling AKP government to parliament. Erdoğan's new salary will be effective as of January 2021. Earlier in October, Erdoğan had urged the believers of Islam to have “patience” in the face of financial problems.

Wednesday October 21 2020 07:33 pm

Duvar English

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has raised his salary by 8.3 percent to a total of 88,000 Turkish Liras ($11,270), at a time when Turkey is suffering a state of economic recession with its foreign debt exceeding $420 billion.

The ruling Justice and Development (AKP) government has submitted the budget law proposal for 2021 to parliament. According to the proposal, the budget allocated for the Presidency will increase by 886 million liras to a total of 4.39 billion liras; whereas the budget allocated for the use of the president will increase to 1.06 million liras. Accordingly, Erdoğan's salary will go up to 88,000 liras in the new fiscal year. Just the raise itself is equal to three times the minimum wage in Turkey.

This information was revealed by main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) parliamentary deputy group chair Özgür Özel.

“According to budget proposal submitted to Turkish parliament, Tayyip Erdoğan is increasing his own salary to 88,000 with a 8.3 percent raise. The raise is equal to 6,750 liras, which is three times the minimum wage. Erdoğan's salary is increasing by 8.3 percent, whereas the [presidential] palace's budget is increasing by 28.1 percent; and citizens are left with bearing with patience in poverty,” Özel wrote on Twitter.

TBMM'ye sunulan bütçe teklifine göre Tayyip Erdoğan kendi maaşını yüzde 8,3 zamla 88.000 TL'ye yükseltiyor.

Zammın karşılığı 6.750 TL, 3 asgari ücrete denk geliyor.

Erdoğan'ın maaşı yüzde 8,3, sarayın bütçesi yüzde 28,1 artıyor, vatandaşa da yoklukta sabretmek düşüyor.
— Özgür Özel (@eczozgurozel) October 21, 2020

Earlier in October, Erdoğan urged the believers of Islam to have “patience” in the face of financial problems. “The person who loses himself to this life’s charm loses both his world and the afterlife. The duty of the believer is not to be spoiled while living in wealth and to have patience while living in poverty,” Erdoğan said during a meeting with imams on Oct. 6.

Erdoğan's comments later drew ire among the opposition, with CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu saying that Erdoğan was a “hypocrite” as he was living in a “Palace” whereas millions are grappling with poverty in the country.

Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) leader Ali Babacan said that a government’s job should not “be demanding patience from citizens in the face of poverty, but rather to offer the highest level of prosperity level.”