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Retired Greeks protest cost of living: 'What should we do, steal?'
🇹🇷 Turkey /Culture & Society

Retired Greeks protest cost of living: 'What should we do, steal?'

From Cumhuriyet · () Turkish

Translated from Turkish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Retired individuals in Isparta, Turkey, expressed difficulties in making ends meet due to escalating costs of food, rent, and utilities.
  • They reported that their pensions were inadequate to cover basic necessities, leading to distress and frustration.
  • Protesting the rising prices, some retirees questioned their options, including resorting to theft, and stated they could barely afford to eat.

Retired citizens in Isparta, Turkey, are voicing severe discontent over the rising cost of living, with many struggling to afford basic necessities on their pensions.

Onions are 50 lira, potatoes are 40 lira. If a person can't buy basic food, how can they live, how can they eat? How will they manage their lives?

— Retired citizenSpeaking about the rising cost of food items in the market.

One retiree lamented the price of produce, stating, "Onions are 50 lira, potatoes are 40 lira. If a person can't buy basic food, how can they live, how can they eat?" Rent prices also present a significant burden, with one individual noting, "Rent is 20,000 lira, 25,000 lira. How will that be enough?"

Rent is 20,000 lira, 25,000 lira. How will that be enough?

— Retired citizenDescribing the high rental costs in the city.

Another expressed frustration with the inadequacy of their pension, saying, "I get 23,000 lira pension. I worked for 28 years and I get 23,000 lira." The cost of dining out is also prohibitive, with a simple meal for two costing "500, 300 lira." This has led to desperate questions like, "What should we do, steal? Is this what I have to do at this age?"

I get 23,000 lira pension. I worked for 28 years and I get 23,000 lira.

— Retired citizenExpressing dissatisfaction with the pension amount after years of work.

Many retirees feel they can only afford to eat, with one stating, "We can only fill our stomachs. If we can fill our stomachs, that's it. No meat, no chicken, just what I find at the market. That's all."

What should we do, steal? Is this what I have to do at this age?

— Retired citizenReacting to the inability to afford basic needs on their pension.
About this summary

Originally published by Cumhuriyet in Turkish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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