Turkey disability retirement system reforms

Following the implementation of Law No. 7538 on January 15, 2025, Turkey’s disability retirement system underwent significant changes. The new legislation transferred decision-making authority from hospitals to the Social Security Institution (SGK) via a new disability list, effectively overriding medical reports based on World Health Organization standards.

Advocates have criticized the sudden transition, with Nazlı Tetik, President of the Disabled Retirement Solidarity Association, stating that hospital reports are being “completely ignored.” Individual reports indicate that citizens with high disability percentages have been denied benefits, and appeals through official channels have reportedly gone unanswered.

Further scrutiny by social security experts has identified methodological errors in how the SGK calculates pensions. These include the use of fixed rates instead of actual percentages for “mild level” disabilities—which may disadvantage those with disability losses between 45 and 49 percent—and the failure to use an insured person’s actual premium days when determining the monthly attachment rate.