Turkey is a country that has made an extensive Pension Reform in the year 2008. With the Turkish Pension Reform of 2008, significant changes were made in the Turkish social insurance system, and the retirement conditions and ages of the insured were redefined dramatically.
There are some special conditions applied to old-age pension in Turkey as well. The special conditions for different types of insured are as follows:
According to the Turkish Social Insurance Law, insured persons have the right to benefit from old-age pension, provided that three years are added to their legal age limits, as not to exceed the age of 65, and that at least 5400 days of invalidity, old-age and survivors insurance premiums are notified to their names.
An old-age pension can be granted to the insured, who have a disease or disability that requires being considered disabled before the first start to work as an insured person and therefore cannot benefit from the invalidity pension, provided that they have been insured for at least fifteen years and that at least 3960 days of invalidity, old-age and survivors insurance premiums have been notified.
Alternatively, the insured, whose working power loss rate is between 50% and 59%, can be retired with at least 16 years of insurance and 4320 days. Likewise, the insured, whose working power loss rate is between 40% and 49%, can be retired if they have been insured for at least 18 years and fulfil the 4680-day conditions.
Alternatively, insured persons who have completed the age of 55 and have been found to have aged prematurely can benefit from the old-age pension if they meet the conditions other than age.
As a special condition for mining sector employees, the age requirement is 50 for the insured who have been working continuously or alternately for at least 20 years in the underground works of mining workplaces determined by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
There is also a positive discrimination pension arrangement for female insured who are taking care of their disabled children. Accordingly, one-fourth of the number of premium payment days passed after 1 October 2008 for those who have a severely disabled child in need of a permanent care, shall be added to the total number of premium payment days, and these added periods are also included in the retirement age limits. This condition is only applied for female insured who are within the scope.
As a special condition, in order for the insured to benefit from old-age pensions, the insured must quit his job or close his job on the date of submitting the retirement petition.
In order for the insured who work independently on their own behalf and account to be granted an old-age pension, they must also not have any premium and premium-related debts due to their own insurance, including the general health insurance premium, to the Social Security Institution as of the date of the written request.
