The Turkish Social Security regime is a classical-type Bismarckian social insurance model. Within the system among those employees and those who are within the working life, the ones specified in the legislation are being considered as social insured. The Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Act No. 5510, as the main legislation of the country in this area, defines the following as social insured:
- Employees working with a service contract as connected to one or more employer.
- Self-employed who are working on their own name and own behalf.
- Those who work as public servants in public administrations and institutions.
- Self-employed who are working on their own name and own behalf in the agricultural sector,
- Those who work uninterruptedly with a service contract in agriculture.
- Those who pay voluntary insurance premiums.
- Partners of companies and partnerships (Partners who are members of the board of directors of joint stock companies, limited partners of limited partnerships whose capital is divided into shares, all partners of other companies and equipment subsidiaries).
- President, Prime Minister, vice presidents, ministers, MPs (members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly), mayors, elected members of the provincial committees.
- Military students and candidates undergoing basic military training to be appointed as officers and non-commissioned officers and candidates undergoing police training (provided that they complete their school/training and start their duties).
- Lawyers and notaries.
- Family physicians.
- Shipmen,
- Professional athletes.
- Village and neighbourhood mukthars.
- Domestic workers.
- Part time workers.
- Employees in residential concierge.
- Film, theater, stage, performance, sound and instrumental artists, those who work in all branches of fine arts including music, painting, sculpture, decorative and similar occupations.
- Thinkers and writers.
- Those who are employed with part-time employment contracts in commercial taxi, minibus and similar urban public transportation vehicles.
- Those elected to the presidencies and boards of directors of trade unions and their confederations and union branches.
- Employees with a service contract from foreign nationals, excluding those who are nationals of the country with which an international social security agreement has been concluded on the basis of reciprocity which excludes the services from the social security regime.
- Those who are employed in accordance with the Law No. 4081 on the Protection of Farmers’ Property.
- Prostitutes (public women) specified in the Public Health Law No. 1593.
- Those who are employed as master trainers in the courses organized by the Ministry of National Education.
- Those who are assigned in public administrations in return for a course fee.
- Those who are benefiting from Community Benefit Programs organized by the Turkish Employment Agency.
- Those who receive job loss compensation pursuant to the Law No. 4046.
- Jockeys and trainers subject to the Law No. 6132 on Horse Racing.
The above mentioned persons are considered as social insured compulsorily (except the voluntary insurance) and they are subjected to be within the social security provisions. For those who are working as connected to an employer, the premium payment obligation is upon the shoulders of their employers.
