Türkiye raises minimum wage by 34 pct to 11,402 lira - Labour minister

In the meeting between Vedat Işıkhan, the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Özgür Burak Akkol, the Chairman of the Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions (TİSK), and Ergün Atalay, the Chairman of TÜRK-İŞ, the minimum wage interim increase for 2023 was discussed.
Minister Işıkhan announced the outcomes of the meeting, stating that the gross minimum wage for the second half of 2023 has been set at 13,414 Turkish liras, while the net minimum wage will be 11,402 Turkish liras.
The increase represents a 34 percent rise, including the welfare share, which surpasses the inflation rate. Compared to the second half of the previous year, the minimum wage has increased by 107 percent.
Since 2002, the minimum wage has been raised 61 times nominally and approximately 312 percent in real terms. This demonstrates the government's commitment to providing a significant share of the increase in welfare to employees, rather than subjecting them to the effects of inflation.
Minister Işıkhan also mentioned that the government will continue to provide minimum wage support, increasing it from 400 Turkish liras to 500 Turkish liras for the next six months.
The minimum wage is typically adjusted annually, but this interim increase aims to protect the purchasing power of workers against inflation.
The Minister emphasized the importance of consensus and the leadership of the President in achieving this result, as has been the case for the past 21 years.
The objective of this increase is to safeguard workers, maintain production, and support employment. The Minister expressed hope that this figure would benefit workers, employers, and the entire nation.