In the AKP lobbies, there are talks about high raises and linear increases at the beginning of the year in response to the financial difficulties of retirees:

The financial difficulties of retirees became one of the headlines of the evaluations regarding the election calendar in the AKP lobbies. While it is expected that there will be a high rate of increase in pensions at the beginning of the year, it is stated that in addition to the regular increase, the option of a linear increase is also being discussed. In the party lobbies, it is pointed out that the problem regarding the economic conditions of retirees is not limited to the increase in pensions, and that the relationship of this segment with the government will be decisive in the election calculation. Despite the statements of the Chief Advisor to the President, Mehmet Uçum, pointing to March and April 2028 for the elections, comments are made within the party that the possible increase at the beginning of the year may be linked to an earlier ballot box calendar.

'RETIREMENT'S LIVING IS IN THE ELECTION ACCOUNT'

While Uçum's statements point to the 2028 calendar for the election, a different election plan is being discussed in the AKP lobbies, based on the financial difficulties of retirees. Sources state that a strong improvement in pensions will directly affect a wide range of voters, and note that the government will want to benefit from the political impact of such a step. At the center of the evaluations behind the scenes is the idea that an increase of this scale to retirees can only be made once before the election. Sources pointing to the New Year for this step state that the scope of the increase in January 2027 may also affect the discussions regarding the election calendar.

'WANTS TO CARRY THE EFFECT OF THE INCREASE TO THE BALLOT BOX'

In this context, not only the normal rate of increase, but also what kind of improvement can be made in the income of retirees, especially those receiving low monthly salaries, with a linear increase comes to the fore. The possibility of adding a linear increase to the high rate increase is being evaluated in the party lobbies together with the expectation of early elections. Sources state that the government will want a strong income increase for retirees to be reflected in the ballot box. For this reason, what kind of political calendar will be implemented after the New Year's regulation is being discussed behind the scenes. There is no clarity yet on the rate of the increase, the amount of the incremental increase and who it will cover. However, the assessment that retirees' financial difficulties pose a serious political problem for the government makes the New Year's raise a part of the election calculation beyond economic regulation.