Ankara, Jan 4 (IANS): Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the government will introduce a 25-per cent rise in the salaries of civil servants and pensions to ease the burden of rising living costs.

The wage and pension increase was in line with the year-end inflation rate, said Erdogan, emphasising that the inflation will continue to fall in 2023, reports Xinhua news agency.

Inflation in Turkey hit nearly 85.5 per cent, a 24-year high, in October 2022 after rising for 17 months, before dropping slightly in November to 84.39.

The government recently hiked the minimum wage and eliminated a retirement age requirement that would allow more than 2 million Turkish workers to retire immediately.

The moves came as Erdogan prepares to run for the presidential and parliament elections in less than six months.

The government aims to win the support of Turkish citizens who are struggling with high inflation, stagnant wages, and declining purchasing power.