North’s minimum wage less than in Turkey for first time

Workers earning the minimum wage in the north are earning less than the equivalent salary in Turkey for the first time, it appeared on Tuesday.

Upon returning to work after the New Year’s break, minimum wage workers in Turkey will now be paid a net salary of 17,002TL (€519.50) per month, following an announcement by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on December 27.

By contrast, minimum wage workers in the north begin the year earning a net monthly salary of 15,750TL (€481.24).

This marks the first time that the north’s minimum wage is lower than that of Turkey.

Historically, the north’s minimum wage was higher than that of Turkey due to its higher cost of living.

In the 1990s and 2000s, the north’s minimum wage was typically double that of Turkey, though that gap began to close in the 2010s.

When the UBP, the current largest party of ‘government’, came to power in 2019, the north’s minimum wage was 14 per cent higher than that of Turkey.

Discussions are ongoing at the north’s minimum wage determination commission for a new minimum wage to be set, with the new figure likely to take effect from February.