23.02.2026 13:23
CHP Kayseri Deputy Aşkın Genç submitted a bill to the Presidency of the Grand National Assembly regarding President Erdoğan's promise to reduce the required premium days for Bağ-Kur insured individuals from 9,000 to 7,200 for retirement in the 2023 elections. In the bill he presented, Genç noted that a Bağ-Kur insured individual is forced to pay 1,800 more premium days than an SSK insured individual who does the same job, works in the same city, and has a similar income level, solely due to the difference in status.
CHP Kayseri Deputy Aşkın Genç stated that the requirement of 9,000 days of premium for retirement for Bağ-Kur insured individuals imposes a burden of 1,800 days more premium payment compared to SSK employees in the same system, and submitted a bill to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey regarding the issue.
"CREATES INEQUALITY"
In the justification of the proposal, it is stated that while 7,200 days are considered sufficient for insured individuals under the 4/1-a category to qualify for old-age pension, applying this period as 9,000 days for those under the 4/1-b category has created a "structural inequality" particularly for Bağ-Kur individuals, especially tradesmen and artisans, for many years. Genç noted that tradesmen, who often have irregular income and are usually required to pay their own premiums, face difficulties in accessing retirement due to the high premium day requirement.
"ENCOURAGES INFORMALITY"
Genç pointed out that a Bağ-Kur individual is forced to pay 1,800 days more premium than an SSK employee who does the same job, works in the same city, and has a similar income level, solely due to the difference in status, emphasizing that this situation is incompatible with the principles of fairness and equality in the social security system.
Moreover, in the justification, Genç indicated that this difference in premium day requirements is not just an individual area of victimization, stating that this inequality undermines trust in the social security system, encourages informality, and effectively makes the right to retirement inaccessible.
REMINDING PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN'S PROMISE
Genç also reminded that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced before the May 14, 2023 elections that the number of premium days for small tradesmen would be equalized with SSK employees and reduced to 7,200 days, stating that approximately 1 million tradesmen would benefit from the regulation. Despite the time that has passed, Genç noted that the regulation has not become law, and the inconsistency between the promise made and the current legal situation has become more apparent. He stated that the proposal's justification does not touch on age requirements and aims to eliminate the difference in the number of premium days between insured individuals under the 4/1-a and 4/1-b categories.