Netherlands cannot cut supplementary benefits of Turkish citizens who retired due to invalidity, embassy official says

THE HAGUE (A.A) - November 26, 2011 - Netherlands could not cut supplementary benefits of Turkish citizens who did not reside in EU member states after they retired due to invalidity, said an official from Turkish embassy in The Hague. Speaking to AA correspondent, Labor and Social Security Counselor Mehmet Sevim at the Turkish embassy said that Decision no:3/80 of the Association Council signed by Turkey and the EU constituted the most important ground in this matter.  Sevim said Article 6(1) of this decision said supplementary benefits given to Turkish citizens could not be ceased, reduced or discounted. "As of 2001, nearly 4,000 Turkish people returned to Turkey with their invalidity pension. Pensions of 1,800 people have supplementary benefits. It is estimated that these benefits which have not paid by the Netherlands since 2003 reached 10 million euros with interest," he said. Sevim said that several cases have been opened on the matter and courts ruled in favor of Turkish citizens. This amount must be paid to Turkish citizens in accordance with these rulings, he added.