Pensioner at 43? Turkey introduces Early Retirement

Over 2 million Turks will be able to retire at any time as long as they have worked for at least 7,200 days. Critics warn of the dangerous consequences of this pre-election move by President Erdogan, writes Deutsche Welle.

The door of the Pension and Social Security Office in Istanbul's Unkapani district is locked. However, a long line has formed on the sidewalk in front of it - people are waiting for the lunch break to end.

The 49-year-old toy seller Murat, who is among those waiting, started working at the age of 13. Now he wants to know if he can retire immediately. "Actually, 49 is too early," he admits. "But if the state gives you such an opportunity, you should take advantage of it," he adds.

And Aishegül has come for the same conclusion. "I have been working since I was 16," says the woman. "I admit: retiring at 43 is early. But in this country it's extremely exhausting, especially for working mothers," says the restaurateur. "Because it's not just the workplace - we also work in the household and with the children." She personally feels very drained by it.

Repeal of the minimum retirement age

Similar queues are currently being seen in many places after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the minimum retirement age would be abolished. According to him, this will affect about 2 million people. Until now, women had the right to retire at 58 and men at 60. From the middle of January, only the time worked will be taken into account. This means that 7,200 days of service will qualify for retirement.

People waiting in line welcome all this. Fatma is another example: "I'm happy because otherwise I would have waited another three years," says...