MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

 Amed (Diyarbakır)- Türkiye's Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Işıkhan announced the minimum wage for 2025 to be 22,104 Turkish Lira ($630.36), a 30% increase. The minimum wage for 2025 was determined according to the demands of the AKP government and international financial institutions, including the IMF and the World Bank, without taking into account the demands of the people and labor unions. In the country, the poverty line stands at over 30,000 Turkish Liras for a single person.

The Turkish government plans to increase its defense and security spending in 2025 while the people suffer from poverty. Türkiye allocates 1.13 trillion Türkish Lira (more than $40 billion) to its defense budget in 2024.

NuJINHA spoke to women who tried to buy something at a local market in Amed. “We return home empty-handed due to the economic crisis and extreme poverty,” they told us.

‘We cannot buy even fresh herbs’

“People are hungry,” said Zekiya Şahin, drawing attention to the economic crisis suffered by people. “We cannot buy meat anymore. Today, I paid 40 Turkish Lira for two apples. I hope those who cause this economic crisis will suffer from the same thing that we suffer. We used to buy everything at the market by spending 10 Turkish Lira but we cannot buy even fresh herbs now. Peace can end this economic crisis not war. Everything will be better if the budget funds human needs.”

‘The budget should fund human needs, not the military’

“We return home empty handed,” Şenay Akşin told NuJINHA. “Women are the most affected by this economic crisis. Our children are hungry. We will not suffer from poverty if the budget funds human needs. The budget should fund human needs, not the military. People are unemployed. The government should give money to people, instead of buying tanks, weapons and artillery.”

‘The demands of people must be privileged’

The economic crisis affects everyone in society, said Rojda Ay. “I spend hours at the market to find something cheap. However, all goods are too expensive to buy. A solution must be found to end this crisis. Why does this country spend money on the military while its people suffer from poverty? The demands of people must be privileged.”

‘The government must change’

In her speech, Ayfer Can drew attention to the living conditions of retirees. “Everything is too expensive to buy. If so much money were not spent on war, we would not suffer from poverty today. The government must change because we deserve a better living condition. We have no hope for the future anymore.”

“We can only buy fresh herbs, nothing more,” said Semra Coşkun.