DEM Party Criticizes Parliament's Legislative Practices, Highlights Pension Crisis

Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, Deputy Group Chair of the DEM Party, has voiced strong criticism regarding the legislative process in the Turkish Parliament. Speaking at a press conference, she lamented that the parliament struggles to establish a truly democratic and participatory legislative ground, leading to negative consequences for the entire nation.

Koçyiğit specifically targeted the practice of omnibus bills, which bundle diverse legislative proposals into a single package. She argued that this method has become routine, preventing thorough discussion and evaluation by lawmakers and the public. "The parliament's most important task is to make laws for the people, for the people's needs, and to use its oversight powers. But we must sadly state that we cannot achieve any of these," she said.

She further accused the ruling AKP government of strategically introducing significant legislation during the summer months, when parliamentary activity typically pauses. This timing, Koçyiğit suggested, creates a "calendar squeeze" that facilitates the rapid passage of omnibus bills. "We believe the aim is to pass laws that most concern the public during a period when people's attention is diverted from parliament and legislative activities," she stated, recalling similar instances last year with laws concerning olive groves and animal rights.

Addressing the issue of retirement pensions, Koçyiğit painted a grim picture for millions of retirees. "Currently, 5.1 million retirees receive only 20,000 lira in pension," she reported. She contrasted this with the projected hunger line of 35,758 lira and the poverty line of 116,478 lira by June 2026, questioning the adequacy of current pensions. While acknowledging that the lowest retirement pension might rise to 23,552 lira based on inflation data, she emphasized that this figure remains significantly below the poverty threshold.

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Meclis'in gerçek anlamda demokratik ve katılımcı bir yasama zemini oluşturamamasının olumsuz sonuçlarını bütün ülke olarak yaşıyoruz. Torba yasama faaliyeti rutine binmiş durumda. Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi'nin görevi yürütmenin hazırladığı paketleri Meclis'e getirip milletvekillerinin el kaldırıp indirmesiyle yasalaştırmak değildir. Meclis'in en önemli görevlerinden biri halk için yasa yapmak, halkın ihtiyaçları için yasa yapmak ve parlamentonun denetim yetkisini kullanmasıdır. Fakat bunların hiçbirini gerçekleştiremediğimizi üzülerek ifade etmek gerekiyor