Turkey's pension reforms cap retirees' payouts at 20,000‑30,000 lira

Social security expert Özgür Erdursun explained that the sharp decline in Turkish retirees' pension amounts stems from reforms introduced on 1 October 2008, not from the recent EYT law. The 2008 changes lowered the monthly binding ratios, altered the update coefficient, and reduced the welfare share of national income, creating a system that equalises all retirees at the lowest level.

According to Erdursun, a worker earning 2‑2.5 times the minimum wage now receives a pension around 20,000 TL, while even high‑income employees (5‑6 times the minimum wage) are limited to 25‑30,000 TL. Self‑employed (BAĞ‑KUR) contributions fare worse, often yielding even lower benefits. The reforms affect both current retirees and millions of future pensioners, who could see more than a 50 % drop in retirement income despite higher lifetime contributions.

Erdursun stressed that blaming EYT for low pensions obscures the underlying structural issue: the 2008 system fundamentally disconnects paid premiums from pension amounts, threatening the financial security of a large portion of Turkey’s workforce.