CHP voices support for paid army service

Revenues from a possible deal to institute paid military service should be transferred to the victims of the Van earthquake, a main opposition deputy leader told a press conference yesterday.

“By doing so, we can help our citizens who are still grieving and recovering from the earthquake” said the Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) Yakup Akkaya at his party’s headquarters.

In addition, Akkaya proposed that the same law apply to young adults under a certain age, “to be fair to the children of Anatolia who are in poverty.”

Asked about what age group the paid military service should apply to, Akkaya suggested setting the limit at those who were born before 1983.

The Turkish government is considering the introduction of paid military service as a priority matter and hopes to pass a relevant bill before the end of 2011, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said.

Erdoğan said the bill would cover only men above a certain age, adding that the funds to be generated from the arrangement would be used for a purpose that he would disclose later.

Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz said social realities, and not financial concerns, prompted the government to consider paid military service and added that a bill on the issue would be finalized after the Kurban Bayram holiday ends this week.