23.02.2026 10:23
A status change that will alter the retirement lives of millions of employees is being quietly implemented. Accordingly, the "last 7 years" advantage for insured individuals after 2008 has been removed; retirement status will now be determined based on the weighted insurance branch throughout the entire working life, rather than the last 1,260 days. The practice, referred to as the "golden touch," which shortens the retirement period, will thus become a thing of the past.
The "last 7 years" rule, which has been applied in the social security system for many years and allows employees to change their status to retire with more advantages, has lost its validity for insured individuals after 2008. In the new regulation, retirement status is determined not according to the last years, but according to the entire working life.
CITIZENS WERE CHANGING STATUS JUST BEFORE RETIREMENT
Although SSK (4/1-a), Bağ-Kur, and the Pension Fund have merged under the SGK umbrella, the retirement conditions continue to vary according to statuses. Especially in terms of the number of premium days, SSK is seen as more advantageous for employees because it requires approximately 1,800 to 2,000 days less premium compared to Bağ-Kur. Therefore, in the past, many insured individuals preferred to change their status shortly before retirement to retire with a lower premium.
RIGHTS CONTINUE FOR INSURED INDIVIDUALS BEFORE 2008
For those who had insurance entry before the SGK reform in 2008, the "last 7 years" rule continues to be applied. Accordingly, the retirement is calculated based on the status in which the highest premium was paid within the last 2,520 days (at least 1,260 days). For example, if a person who has worked as Bağ-Kur for many years works as SSK for the last 3.5 years before retirement, they can retire from SSK if they meet the necessary conditions.
THE NEW SYSTEM TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE ENTIRE WORKING LIFE
According to the information shared by SGK Chief Expert İsa Karakaş in his column in Türkiye newspaper; for those who were first insured in October 2008 and afterwards, this practice has been abolished. In the new system, when determining retirement status, not the last years but the entire working period is taken into account.
In this context, a person who has spent a large part of their working life as Bağ-Kur, even if they work as SSK in recent years, will have to complete the retirement conditions according to Bağ-Kur since the majority is in Bağ-Kur. This means that the requirement of 9,000 premium days will come into play.