Turkey's Social Security Institution outlines four death‑benefit payments

The Social Security Institution (SGK) in Turkey provides four types of support to families of deceased insured persons. The benefits include a death pension paid to surviving spouses, children and, in some cases, parents; a lump‑sum death payment that returns accumulated contributions when the insured lacked sufficient premium days; a marriage allowance (known locally as “çeyiz”) paid as a one‑off sum to orphan girls receiving an orphan pension when they marry; and a funeral allowance covering burial costs.

Eligibility for the death pension requires the deceased to have at least 1,800 days of contributions to the disability, old‑age and death insurance schemes. For SSK‑insured workers a reduced threshold applies: five years of registration and 900 contribution days, excluding periods of military service or maternity credit. The benefits are denied to heirs who intentionally caused the death, have been convicted of serious crimes, or have been legally disqualified from inheritance by a court decision.