A lobby group for Turkish immigrants in the Netherlands is taking legal action against the government’s decision not to pay an extra €33 a month to workers who have returned to Turkey on their retirement.

The money represents compensation for a loss of spending power stemming from other government measures. But since June 1 it has been scrapped for all people claiming the state pension who live abroad.
Of the 280,000 people affected by the new rules, around 20,000 live in Turkey. Most live in Belgium and Spain.
The IOT argues that under treaties between the EU and Turkey, its citizens should be treated the same as Dutch nationals.
In order to qualify for a full state pension (AOW), foreign nationals must have lived in the Netherlands for 50 years by the time they reach the age of 65.
This means most immigrants only qualify for a partial pension. For example, if they have worked 30 years in the Netherlands, they are entitled to 60% of the state pension.