Turkey to potentially cancel GSS premium debts for 1 million people

A new legislative proposal expected to be submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey aims to cancel General Health Insurance (GSS) premium debts for approximately 1 million citizens. If passed and published in the Official Gazette, the regulation is projected to take effect on January 1, 2027.

The measure targets unpaid GSS premium debts incurred before January 1, 2017. This follows previous laws that cleared debts from the 2012–2015 period. The proposed regulation would not only eliminate the principal debt amounts but also the associated late fees and interest accrued on those specific debts.

However, the relief is strictly limited to the specified period. Debts incurred from 2017 onwards will remain active and must still be paid. For individuals with debts spanning multiple years, such as 2016 and 2020, only the pre-2017 portion would be cleared. Additionally, the regulation will not provide refunds to citizens who have already paid their GSS debts for the covered years.