Short answer: Turkey's retirement age depends on when a person was first insured. For those first insured after 30 April 2008 it is 58 for women and 60 for men, with 7,200 to 9,000 premium days; it rises in steps for days completed from 2036 and reaches 65 from 2048. Those first insured on or before 8 September 1999 have had no age condition since 2023. SGK pensions rise every January and July by the previous six months' consumer price inflation; the July 2026 increase was 17.76% and the legal minimum pension is TRY 23,552 a month.
Latest figures in one place: Turkey economic data.
Turkey's state pension (emekli aylığı) is paid by the Social Security Institution (SGK) under Law No. 5510 to people who meet three conditions: an age, a number of premium days and, for some groups, a minimum length of insurance. Because the rules were tightened in 1999 and again in 2008, the conditions differ according to the date a person was first insured, so two people of the same age can retire decades apart.
Figures are as of October 2026 and come from Law No. 5510, the Resmî Gazete, SGK and official inflation data. Special cases such as mining or disability have separate rules.
How the Turkey pension system works
Turkey has one public pension scheme run by SGK, which since 2008 covers three groups that once had separate funds, and each person's conditions depend on their group and first insurance date.
| Group | Former fund | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 4/a | SSK | Employees under an employment contract |
| 4/b | Bağ-Kur | Self-employed people and business owners |
| 4/c | Emekli Sandığı | Civil servants |
A year of full-time work counts as 360 premium days. Under Article 38, the start of insurance is the first time a person was covered for pension insurance in any of these funds; for people who started before 18, the insurance period runs from their 18th birthday, although earlier premiums still count as days. A pension is not paid automatically: an employee must leave work and apply in writing, and a self-employed person must have no premium debt (Article 28). SGK's e-Devlet service "When can I retire under normal conditions?" shows an individual date based on SGK records.
The voluntary private pension system (BES) under Law No. 4632 is separate and does not affect SGK entitlement; from 1 January 2026 the state contribution is 20% of TRY contributions paid by participants, excluding employer-paid contributions (Presidential Decision 10811, Resmî Gazete, 7 January 2026).
Turkey retirement age for people first insured after 2008
For people first insured on or after 1 May 2008, Article 28 of Law No. 5510 sets 58 for women and 60 for men, with 7,200 premium days for employees and 9,000 for the self-employed and civil servants, and the age rises in steps for days completed from 2036, reaching 65 from 2048 (from 2044 for men).
The age that applies is the one in force on the date the premium-day condition is met, not the date the person reaches the age. Article 28 also allows a pension with 5,400 days if three years are added to the age limit, capped at 65; for employees first insured between 30 April 2008 and 2015, temporary Article 6 lowers that 5,400-day figure.
| Days completed | Women | Men | Women, 5,400-day route | Men, 5,400-day route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Until 31 December 2035 | 58 | 60 | 61 | 63 |
| 2036 to 2037 | 59 | 61 | 62 | 64 |
| 2038 to 2039 | 60 | 62 | 63 | 65 |
| 2040 to 2041 | 61 | 63 | 64 | 65 |
| 2042 to 2043 | 62 | 64 | 65 | 65 |
| 2044 to 2045 | 63 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
| 2046 to 2047 | 64 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
| From 2048 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
Hypothetical example: a man born in 1988 starts work in January 2010 and works without a break. He completes 7,200 days (20 years × 360) around 2030, which falls in the first row, so his retirement age is 60 and he can retire in 2048. A woman who first insured in 2020 as self-employed needs 9,000 days, about 25 years, and completes them in 2045; her age limit is then 63.
Earlier entrants: 1999 to 2008 and the EYT change
People first insured between 9 September 1999 and 30 April 2008 retire at 58 (women) or 60 (men) under temporary Article 9, while those insured on or before 8 September 1999 no longer face any age condition.
| First insured | Employees (4/a) | Self-employed (4/b) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 September 1999 to 30 April 2008 | Women 58, men 60, with 7,000 days, or with 25 years of insurance and 4,500 days | Women 58, men 60, with 25 full years of premiums, or women 60, men 62 with 15 years for a partial pension |
| On or before 8 September 1999 (EYT) | No age limit; women 20, men 25 years of insurance and 5,000 to 5,975 days | No age limit; women 20, men 25 full years of premiums |
EYT (emeklilikte yaşa takılanlar, people caught by the age rule) is the popular name for temporary Article 95, added by Law No. 7438 and published in the Resmî Gazete on 3 March 2023. It removed the age condition for this group but kept the day and service conditions, and gave no back payments. For employees, the exact number of days between 5,000 and 5,975 depends on how long a person had been insured on 23 May 2002.
How much is the state pension in Turkey?
A Turkish state pension is the person's updated average monthly earnings multiplied by a replacement rate of 2% for every 360 premium days, capped at 90%, and it cannot be lower than the legal minimum of TRY 23,552 a month.
Article 29 of Law No. 5510 sets the method for service after 2008. Each year's earnings on which contributions were paid are revalued to the application date with an update factor equal to the CPI change plus 30% of real GDP growth, and the total is divided by the premium days to give average daily earnings; thirty times that is the average monthly earnings. Service before the 2008 reform is calculated under the earlier laws, and the two parts are combined in proportion to the premium days in each period (temporary Article 2).
Hypothetical example: an employee retires with 7,200 premium days, all after 2008, and updated average monthly earnings of TRY 60,000. The replacement rate is 7,200 ÷ 360 × 2% = 40%, so the pension is TRY 24,000 a month. With 9,000 days the rate would be 50%.
Under additional Article 19, old-age and disability pensions, including the supplementary payment, may not total less than TRY 23,552 a month per file; SGK tops up any shortfall from the Treasury. The figure was raised from TRY 20,000 by Law No. 7590 (Resmî Gazete, 31 July 2026) from the July 2026 payment period. Survivors share the minimum according to their shares, and partial pensions paid under international agreements are not topped up. There is no single average pension figure in the law: amounts depend on each person's earnings and days, and SGK publishes aggregate statistics separately.
Turkey pension increase: January and July
SSK and Bağ-Kur pensions rise every January and July by the change in the consumer price index of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK, also TurkStat) over the previous six months, under Article 55 of Law No. 5510, with no separate decision needed.
| Increase | Based on | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | CPI change, July to December 2025 (TÜİK, December 2025 and June 2026 bulletins) | 12.19% |
| July 2026 | CPI change, January to June 2026 (TÜİK, June 2026 bulletin) | 17.76% |
Every pension rises by the same percentage, regardless of its size. Civil-servant pensions follow a different rule, the civil-servant pay coefficients set from the collective-agreement raise plus any inflation top-up; those coefficients rose by 13.52% in July 2026 (Ministry of Labour calculation). The minimum pension does not rise automatically: TRY 23,552 equals TRY 20,000 increased by 17.76%, but it took Law No. 7590 to set it.
Turkey pension increase January 2027: when it will be known
The January 2027 increase is not known as of 3 November 2026; it will equal the CPI change from July to December 2026, which TÜİK will publish with December's figures, normally in early January.
Monthly CPI data published so far, as shown in the consumer price table of the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (TCMB, also CBRT), are 1.78% for July, 1.84% for August, 1.84% for September and 2.58% for October 2026. Compounded, that is about 8.3% for the first four months of the six-month period. TÜİK published October CPI on 3 November 2026 (2.58% for the month) and its calendar lists November CPI for 3 December 2026; its 2027 calendar, which will date the December release, has not been published yet. The 8.3% is not a forecast. The official rate is the one TÜİK calculates from index levels.
Hypothetical example, not a forecast: if the July to December 2026 CPI change were 10%, a TRY 25,000 SSK pension would become TRY 27,500 in January 2027. A pension below the minimum would still receive the TRY 23,552 top-up unless a new law changes that figure.
Media figures before TÜİK's release are estimates. How Turkish CPI is compiled is explained in Turkish lira inflation rate.
Turkey retirement benefits for foreigners and people moving abroad
Foreign employees build SGK pension rights like Turkish employees, and whether those years can be combined with another country's depends on a social security agreement.
- Agreements: Turkey has agreements with 35 countries, which let insurance periods be combined and pensions be paid in the new country of residence; see Turkey social security (SGK).
- Lump sum: under Article 31, a person who reaches the retirement age without enough days for a pension can claim a lump sum equal to the pension contributions reported in their name, revalued with the update factor.
- Working after retirement: for people first insured after 2008, Article 30 stops the pension if they start work again under Law No. 5510 as an employee or under a foreign country's legislation; it is recalculated when they stop.
- Severance pay: leaving work to retire gives a right to severance pay; see Turkey severance pay.
In Turkey, payments by social insurance institutions to insured people are exempt from income tax under Article 25/6 of the Income Tax Law (see Turkey income tax brackets), but your country of residence may tax the pension, so check its rules and any tax treaty.
Frequently asked questions
What is the retirement age in Turkey?
For people first insured after 30 April 2008, it is 58 for women and 60 for men if they complete their premium days by the end of 2035, rising step by step to 65 for those who complete them from 2048. People first insured from 9 September 1999 to 30 April 2008 retire at 58 or 60 without that increase, and those insured on or before 8 September 1999 have no age condition.
What is the retirement age for women in Turkey?
58 for women first insured after 8 September 1999. For those first insured after 30 April 2008, the age rises by one year every two years for premium days completed from 2036, reaching 65 from 2048. Women first insured on or before 8 September 1999 can retire at any age after 20 years of insurance and the required premium days.
How much is the minimum state pension in Turkey?
TRY 23,552 a month from the July 2026 payment period, set by Law No. 7590 in additional Article 19 of Law No. 5510. SGK tops up lower pensions to this amount, except partial pensions paid under international agreements.
When will the January 2027 pension increase be known?
When TÜİK publishes December 2026 inflation, normally in early January 2027. The increase equals the CPI change from July to December 2026; as of 3 November 2026 only the July, August, September and October figures were published.
Can foreigners get a Turkish state pension?
Yes, if they meet the same age and premium-day conditions as Turkish citizens. Where Turkey has a social security agreement with their home country, insurance periods in both countries can be combined and the pension can be paid abroad.
Sources
- Mevzuat: Law No. 5510, Articles 3, 4, 28 to 31, 38, 55, additional Article 19 and temporary Articles 2, 6, 9 and 95 (Turkish) (opens in a new tab)
- Resmî Gazete: Law No. 7438 removing the age condition for pre-September 1999 entrants, 3 March 2023 (Turkish) (opens in a new tab)
- Resmî Gazete: Law No. 7590, minimum pension of TRY 23,552, 31 July 2026 (Turkish) (opens in a new tab)
- TÜİK: Consumer price index, June 2026 bulletin (Turkish) (opens in a new tab)
- TCMB: Consumer prices, monthly and annual changes (Turkish) (opens in a new tab)
- SGK: Old-age pension conditions for employees (4/A) (Turkish) (opens in a new tab)
- e-Devlet: SGK service When can I retire under normal conditions (Turkish) (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Labour and Social Security: Bilateral agreements (English) (opens in a new tab)
- Resmî Gazete: Presidential Decision 10811 on the BES state contribution rate, 7 January 2026 (Turkish) (opens in a new tab)
- TÜİK: Consumer price index, December 2025 bulletin (Turkish) (opens in a new tab)
- TÜİK: National data release calendar, CPI release dates for October and November 2026 (Turkish) (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Labour and Social Security: Civil-servant coefficients from 1 July 2026, severance ceiling calculation (Turkish) (opens in a new tab)
This guide is general information, not investment, legal or tax advice. Amounts, rates and rules in Turkey change often: check the date given for each figure and the official source before you rely on it, and ask a licensed adviser about your own situation. Sources, checks and corrections: see the editorial policy.