Turkey civil servant retirees seek legal action over supplemental pay

Legal challenges are intensifying regarding the exclusion of civil servant retirees from the supplemental pay increase (seyyanen zam) granted to active public employees in 2023. Ali Doğan, a retired Ministry of National Education employee and founder of the Retired Civil Servants Association, has filed a lawsuit in the Ankara 19th Administrative Court. The suit seeks the recovery of lost economic rights with legal interest, arguing that the current regulations violate the principle of equality.

The Constitutional Court (AYM) has recently decided to merge a second individual application regarding this issue with an existing case. While this procedural step allows for a joint evaluation, it does not constitute a final ruling on the merits of the case.

Discussions regarding potential retroactive payments or specific amounts, such as 25,000 TL, remain speculative and are not determined by the court. Furthermore, the current legal proceedings specifically address the discrepancy for civil servant retirees; any impact on SSK or Bağ-Kur retirees would likely require separate legislative action.