Turkish Education Minister Yusuf Tekin Defends Contract Teacher Pay Policies

Education Minister Yusuf Tekin answered parliamentary questions on the status and remuneration of contract teachers in Turkey. He explained that, since 2016, teacher shortages have been addressed through contract employment, with teachers paid per lesson and without a permanent salary or tenure. Tekin said current legislation does not allow contract teachers to be directly appointed to permanent posts.

He also responded to private‑school teachers’ demand for a legally guaranteed base salary. Tekin noted that wages in private institutions are set by individual employment contracts; the minimum wage level serves as a de‑facto base salary, while higher pay may be granted based on experience and qualifications. The ministry is reviewing requests to reinstate a formal base‑salary scheme, taking into account education law, labour law, social security rules, institutional budgets and staffing policies. Tekin mentioned that complaints have been received about delayed payments, missing social‑security contributions and other irregularities, which are examined case‑by‑case under the relevant regulations.