Today in History – 10 February

Nay to a raise for deputies

The decision taken by the Budget Committee to raise deputy allowances was met with great public reaction. Although the raise was minimal, the economy was in crisis and the public was putting up with great challenges to make a living. As the people struggled to make ends meet, the deputies were at least expected to “be on a par with the general level of poverty.”

It is our right to expect our deputies to set us an example as members of the Grand National Assembly. Compared to 1950, how much more are we paying civil servants? The esteemed deputies should not even ask for that much. Therefore, asking for more is absolutely out of question. Otherwise, the people will be hurt, they will lose confidence in their representative, and their will to work will slowly begin to wane.

The date 1950 Cumhuriyet newspaper mentioned indicated the year in which the Democrat Party came to power and thus alluded to the economic troubles encountered since then. Sharing the same view, the CHP Group unanimously accepted İsmet İnönü’s proposal to “reject the raise for deputy allowances.” However, due to the subsequent coup, the elections were never held and the impact this move would have on the outcome was never known.