Skip to main content

Turkey's ruling party offers big payouts ahead of critical vote

Despite its deepening financial woes, Turkey’s government has rolled out an unprecedented $6 billion package to court favor with voters ahead of the June 24 polls.
A man sits in front of poster flags of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, near spice bazaar at Eminonu district on April 19, 2018 in Istanbul. - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on April 18, 2018 called snap elections in Turkey for June 24, bringing the polls forward by over a year-and-a-half after a call from his main nationalist ally. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)        (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)
Read in 

Ahead of each general election, Turkish governments typically loosen the purse strings to offer economic benefits to voters, mainly pensioners, minimum wage earners, farmers and small-business owners. Still, the incentives package announced this week ahead of critical parliamentary and presidential polls on June 24 is unprecedented in recent history. The scope of the package is so broad that it is of interest to virtually the entire population.

One of the most hotly debated items in the package, announced April 30, is the promise for two bonuses to pensioners this year. The plan has conjured up the pledges the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) made ahead of the June 2015 elections, including similar bonuses for retirees and a notable increase in the minimum wage. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) sought to discredit the pledges as deceptive and inapplicable due to budget constraints. Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek even said he was ready to vote for the CHP if it managed to pull it off. Since its re-election, however, the AKP has appeared willing to implement the same CHP proposals it had so disparaged. First it raised the minimum wage and now, less than two months ahead of the polls, it has decided to give pensioners bonuses of 1,000 liras (about $240) for the two main Islamic holidays this year, in June and August.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.