The Turkish Social Security System is a system established to provide financial support for healthcare, retirement, invalidity, legal dismissal, incapacitation, and death for workers and social insurance holders. The system is a social insurance network run by the state and financed by deductions from the workers’ companies and by themselves for independent workers. The system covers both public and private employees as well as those working on their own name and behalf.
The Social Security Institution (SSI) governs the Turkish Social Security System. The Social Insurance and General Healthcare Insurance Code No. 5510 is the basic law of the system. The Social Insurance Transactions Regulations, issued by the SSI, define the implementation details.
The social security system generally consists of three main components: health insurance (also known as General Healthcare Insurance), retirement insurance (including old age, invalidity, and survivors insurance), and occupational accident and disease insurance (including work accident and occupational disease insurance, health insurance, and maternity insurance).
The social security system is implemented throughout Turkey and is financed by deductions from the companies where the workers work and from themselves for those who are working independently. The system is premium-based and compulsory. The Turkish system is an extended model of the Bismarckian pay-as-you-go type social insurance system.
In the Turkish system, health insurance enables workers to access and reduce the costs of healthcare services. The healthcare expenses of individuals who are within the scope of the General Healthcare Insurance are covered by the SSI within the rules defined in the Healthcare Transactions Communique.
The retirement insurance provides financial support for the insured during their retirement period. The invalidity and old age pension is given to the insured, however the survivors’ pension is a right given to the dependents of the insured.
The occupational accident and disease insurance is designed to cover the costs incurred as a result of work accidents and occupational diseases. In addition, risks associated with illness and maternity are also covered by these short-term insurance branches.
In summary, the Turkish Social Security System is a system that covers risks associated with health, invalidity, unemployment, incapacitation, and death for the insured who are within the scope. The system is a social insurance network based on a pay-as-you-go model run by the state and financed by deductions from the workers’ companies and themselves for independent workers. The system covers both public and private employees as well as those working on their own name and behalf. The Social Security Institution (SSI) governs the Turkish Social Security System.
