‘Our salary is not enough’: Turkish parliamentarian sparks debate

Dogan Demir, a member of the Turkish Parliament representing Istanbul with the Future Party (Gelecek), sparked a debate after giving an interview to the newspaper Cagdas Kocaeli specifying that his salary was not enough.

In response to the question, “Is your salary enough?,” Demir stated, “Many of our friends have bank loan debts.” Some have agreed with Demir’s point, while others argue that his salary is too high. His comments have sparked debate as he considers his salary of ₺196,755 ($5,415) monthly not enough.

We have a basic salary. We also have free phone calls, but I don’t use the free phone. At the Parliament, we constantly host guests, providing them with food, tea, and coffee; accommodation at guesthouses, travel expenses—everything comes from our pockets… We travel between Ankara, Izmit, and Istanbul at least two or three times a week … Weddings, social events, gifts, flowers, and so on … Believe it or not, many of our friends have bank loan debts!

Dogan Demir, Istanbul member of Parliament

Demir’s dissatisfaction with his salary comes after a long debate within Türkiye over the salaries of members of Parliament (MP).

Most recent salary adjustment of MPs sparked extensive debate

In Türkiye, the net minimum wage is ₺22,104. Therefore, salary of MPs became nine times the minimum after the January 2025 salary adjustments.

Many in Türkiye were quick to compare the salaries of MPs in other European countries with how much more it is than the minimum wage.

• Türkiye: Nine times
• Greece: 5.9 times
• United Kingdom: 4.6 times
• Belgium: 4.3 times
• France: 4.3 times
• Netherlands: 4.1 times
• Sweden: 3.6 times
• Spain: 2.6 times

The salaries of MPs in the country are often a subject of public criticism and heated debates.