The salaries paid for 3 months benefited those who were not elected. 314 ex-deputies whose parliamentary term expired were paid an extra 1.5 months’ salary. Thus, each deputy received 111 thousand liras more money.
Erdogan SUZER
Release: 05:30 – 17 May 2023 Updated:
314 former deputies whose membership in the parliament expired on 14 May because they were not nominated or could not be elected, were paid 111 thousand liras of parliamentary salaries for 1.5 months covering the period of 15-31 May and 1-30 June, when they would not work in the Grand National embly of Turkey. 314 deputies, who will no longer work as deputies in the Grand National embly of Turkey, left without returning the 35 million liras paid to them, deducted from the taxes of the people.
THEY ARE NOT EVEN CANDIDATES
Deputies are paid a 3-month advance salary instead of a monthly salary. The salary for January, February and March this year was paid on January 1, 2023. Lastly, on April 1, the salary for the 3-month period covering April, May and June was paid in advance. The monthly salary of the deputies is approximately 74 thousand liras. Since 3 months’ salary was paid in advance, each of the deputies was paid 222 thousand liras on April 1st. At that time, it was known that the elections would be held on May 18 and that many deputies would not be able to return to the Parliament. Moreover, he was not even nominated again by many of the proxy parties. However, this situation was not taken into consideration at all, as if all deputies were to return to their duties on May 15, the payment was made in advance.
RETURN NEEDED
When the elections were over, 314 deputies were left out of the parliament for sure. Therefore, the 1.5-month salary paid to them for the period of 15 May-30 June, when they will not be working in the Grand National embly of Turkey, has no actual justification. Moreover, 314 new deputies who entered the Parliament instead of them, started to be paid in cash for 1.5 months. Under normal circumstances, 314 people whose parliamentary term has expired are required to return a total of 111 thousand liras, including 37 thousand liras they received for May and 74 thousand liras they received for June. However, it has not been returned yet.
It is enough to make 35 earthquake victims homeowners.
Durmuş Yılmaz, who was elected as a deputy from the MHP at that time when the 2015 elections were cancelled, went down in history as the only deputy who returned his salary on the grounds that he did not deserve it. There is no legislative provision mandating the return of these undeserved salaries. 35 million lira, which 314 former deputies have not yet returned, corresponds to the 1-month salary of 4 thousand 647 retirees or 4 thousand 98 minimum wage earners. With the 35 million liras that the former deputies put in their pockets and take away, new houses can be built for about 35 earthquake victims who are left homeless. Many former deputies reached by SÖZCÜ said that they would not return the salary, saying, “We spent it in the elections.”