Parliament’s General Assembly will resume its weekly work on Tuesday with an agenda dominated by draft bills and a debate on pensions.
Lawmakers will discuss the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) bill for the establishment of the Turkish Justice Academy, an educational institution first of its kind for intra-judiciary training. The bill proposes the eligibility of judges and prosecutors with at least an eight-year career in the profession for assignment to the academy. The academy will also host a Legal Studies Center and Education Board to define the training courses.
Parliament’s subcommittees will also have a busy week. The National Defense Committee will discuss a cybersecurity bill that also involves the establishment of a cybersecurity board composed of the president, ministers, intelligence chief and other top officials. The bill calls for prioritizing locally-made products in cybersecurity and prison terms of up to 12 years for people convicted of cyber attacks.
The Planning and Budget Committee will focus on amendments to several laws in order to raise the pensions. A proposed amendment brings the lowest pension from TL 12,500 to TL 14,469 ($353 to $408) starting from January 2025 and subsidizes employers TL 1,000 monthly for minimum wage expenses. Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Işıkhan announced a new minimum pension increase of 15.75% earlier this month, but it will require approval by lawmakers. The minimum pension threshold was first established through legislation in 2019.
Türkiye’s net monthly minimum wage has been raised by 30% to TL 22,104 ($627) for this year. The hike fell short of the workers’ union demand but, economists say, showed the government’s determination to reach disinflation targets. The government said the level was set to maintain fiscal discipline and continue the fight against inflation. The workers’ union had requested an increase of around 70%. The adjustment directly impacts some 9 million workers and is seen as a benchmark for the increase in private sector salaries.
Inflation eased more than expected in December to end 2024 at nearly 44.4% on an annual basis. It marked the weakest inflation since June 2023 and hit the central bank’s midpoint target of 44% for year-end.
The bank sees inflation easing to as low as 21% by the end of 2025.
Another bill under discussion is the appointment of trustees for five years by a relevant authority to businesses or assets in cases violating the laws for the prevention of financing of terrorism and the Turkish Penal Code.
Also, this week, Netflix representatives will brief a parliamentary committee on digital platforms. TV series broadcast on Netflix have faced criticism from lawmakers in the past for their anti-Turkish propaganda and “inappropriate” content.
A subcommittee will hear representatives of medical unions and associations, as well as representatives of privately-run hospitals, in light of the “newborn deaths scandal.” Authorities last year uncovered a gang of medical staff, including top-notch doctors, that profited from infant deaths in privately run hospitals. The so-called “Newborn Gang” will also appear before an Istanbul court this week in the second hearing of their trial. The defendants are accused of transferring newborns to neonatal units in 19 private hospitals, mostly in Istanbul, where the babies were allegedly subjected to prolonged and unnecessary treatments. At least 10 infants are believed to have died due to neglect or malpractice in facilities that were ill-equipped to provide proper care. The prosecutors argue that the defendants falsified reports to exaggerate the severity of the babies’ conditions, aiming to secure payments from Türkiye’s Social Security Institution (SGK).
On Wednesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to address the parliamentary group meeting of the AK Party.