Strong Reaction from KESK to the Labor Enemy Medium Term Program (MTP): "United Struggle is the Solution!"

ANKARA - Confederation of Public Employees' Trade Unions (KESK) made a press statement at its headquarters regarding the Medium Term Program (MTP) published on 7 September 2025 and covering the period 2026-2028. In the statement read by KESK General Secretary Sevgi Yılmaz, it was stated that the MTP contains anti-labor policies and will drag workers into "19th century slavery conditions" and all laborers were called for a united struggle.

The Main Objectives of the OVP and KESK's Evaluation

KESK drew attention to the highlights of the MTP:

• Increase the alignment of "administered administered prices, including wages and salaries of employees, with inflation forecasts and targets"

• Establishment of a Supplementary Pension System (TES) and realization of "new generation working models, assured flexibility practices"

• Increasing efficiency and savings in expenditures

• Reorganization of working hours

• Increase privatization revenues

KESK emphasized that a Medium Term Program should provide solutions to the problems faced by the widest segment of the population and stated that the overwhelming majority of the population in Turkey consists of workers, public laborers, pensioners, small tradesmen and farmers. KESK reminded that according to TURKSTAT data, 32.5 million citizens are in employment, at least 9 million people work informally and there are 16 million retired people, and said, "At least 80% of the 86 million population consists of those who live off their labor and their families. In short, 4 out of every 5 people in Turkey are struggling to make a living with their labor."

Economic Picture: Hunger and Poverty Lines, Low Wages

KESK described the economic picture in Turkey as "a depressing one". Member unions according to BES-AR's September 2025 data:

• The Hunger Limit for a family of 4: 37,173 TL

• Poverty Line: 90.279 TL

• Cost of Living for a Single Employee: 58.335 TL

• Minimum Wage: TL 22,104 (below the hunger line)

• Average Public Worker Salary: 52,000 TL (almost half of the poverty line)

Sharing the inflation data, KESK stated that while TURKSTAT announced the annual inflation rate as 32.95%, ENAG's rate was 65.49% and ITO's rate was 40.83%. He emphasized that Turkey is in a leading position with 32.95% in an environment where the OECD average is 4.1%. It was stated that food inflation increased by 33%, education inflation by 60.91% and housing-rent inflation by 53.27%.

Criticism of Inflation Targets and Wage Policy in the OVP

KESK stated that the concept of "administered prices" defined in the MTP means keeping wages, salaries and salaries low. He explained with examples that the inflation targets in the past MTPs have constantly deviated and the bill of these deviations has been cut as poverty to the laborers. 11%+7% for 2026 and 5%+4% for 2027, which is below the targeted inflation rate.

The Supplementary Pension System (TES) and the Situation of Pensioners

CESK also criticized the Complementary Pension System (TES) proposal in the NTP, arguing that it is a lie of a "second pension". Stating that the aim is to weaken the existing public pension system, KESK reminded that at least 4 million of the 16 million pensioners struggle to survive on 16,881 TL, which is half of the hunger limit. It was warned that the TES does not guarantee a fixed income and will be nothing more than "pocket money". KESK demanded strengthening the public pension system, allocating more resources from the budget and reducing informal employment.

Precarious Flexibility and Child Labor Targets

Stating that the concepts of "new generation forms of work" and "assured flexibility" in the MTP aim to expand flexible and precarious employment, KESK argued that especially women are planned to become the basis of these types of employment. In an environment where the number of broadly defined unemployed exceeds 12 million according to DİSK-AR data, the MTP aims to "make precariousness even more permanent."

KESK stated that the MTP also targets children and plans to regulate child labor according to the needs of the market through education policies, and noted that the statements "The virtue of work and the social value of production will be reflected in the curriculum from the beginning of the formal education process" are indicators that child labor will be made widespread.

Budget and Interest Expenditures

Citing the interest expenditures and privatization revenues that became clear with the GOVP, KESK stated that the interest expenditure targeted at 697.8 billion TL for 2024 reached 1.270 billion TL, while the expected interest payment for 2025 was increased to 2.052 billion TL while the target was 774.5 billion TL. It was reminded that interest expenditures were targeted at 2.856 billion TL for 2026 and 3.161 billion TL for 2027. It was pointed out that the increase in privatization revenues from 30 billion TL to 185 billion TL for 2026 was increased by approximately 155 billion TL with the privatization of two bridges and eight highways.

KESK emphasized that the burden of all these policies will be borne by the taxes imposed on workers and the public and said, "With this MTP, it is aimed to realize the conditions of slavery in the 19th century, 200 years behind, not 3 years ahead for workers and laborers."

Stating that KESK will continue their struggle against this slavery order imposed on all workers and children, KESK said, "Let's stand shoulder to shoulder for a wage sufficient to live humanely, a fair tax system, a budget for labor for the people, a secure job, a secure future. United Struggle Against the Labor Enemy MTP!" concluded the statement with the call.