[Turkey] Hunger line at YTL 573, poverty line at YTL 1,867

from The New Anatolian

EkoTürk News Agency / Ankara

According to survey of Türk-İş, the leading confederation of labor unions, the amount of food expenditures of a four-member family which is also described as hunger line of a family increased to YTL 573.33, and the poverty line to YTL 1867.54 in July.

The amount of food expenditures of a four-member family which is also described as hunger line increased by 0.31 percent in July reaching YTL 573.33. The poverty line increased to YTL 1867.54.

According to the research made by the Turkish Research Center, the monthly expenditure which is necessary to be made by a four-individual family in order to eat a balanced diet and which is described as hunger line increased by 0.31 percent in July compared to last month and reached YTL 573.33. The hunger line was about YTL 571.57 last month. The increase in the hunger line in first seven months of the year is determined as 5.60 percent, while the increase in last one year is determined as 8.17 percent. The hunger line was about YTL 542.95 by the end of 2005 and about YTL 530.05 last year in July.

The amount of expenditures, which are needed to be made by a four-individual family to meet basic needs such as rent, transportation, fuel for heating, lightening, water, clothing, education, telephone, and culture besides food and which is described as poverty line is YTL 1867.54 in July. The poverty line was estimated as YTL 1726.55 last year in the same period, while it was determined as YTL 1768.57 at the end of last year, and YTL 1861.80 this year in June.

Türk-İş, in its statement, said that the price increases in recent months negatively affected the budgets of families, adding that the working people needed to spend YTL 30 more for food and YTL 99 more for basic needs. It was stated that increases which were made in income of workers and retired people by taking inflation rate determined for 2006 as basis were meaningless after the price increases in the first seven months adding, "The purchasing power of sections with low or fixed income is continuing to decrease."

Minimum wage is enough for 6 days.

The statement stressed that the income level of about half of workers working within the Social Security Institution was the minimum wage and added, "With the minimum wage, which is considered high by some employers and which is wanted to be decreased, it is possible to live for only 6 days to provide a living standard required by the honor of a person."