12.08.2026 12:00
The change to Türkiye's disability pension system, which had been in place for 45 years, through a law that took effect on January 15, 2025, has caused many disabled citizens to suffer grievances regarding their pension rights. The Disability Pension Solidarity Association (EMED) stated that the regulation affects not only disabled citizens who will retire in the future but also those who retired years ago under the existing legal conditions, and argued that they face a loss of rights.
The change of the disability retirement system, which has been implemented in Turkey for 45 years, with the law that came into effect on January 15, 2025, has caused many disabled citizens to suffer grievances regarding their retirement rights. The Disability Retirement Solidarity Association (EMED) argued that the regulation affects not only disabled citizens who will retire in the future, but also those who retired years ago under the existing legal conditions, and that they face loss of rights.
The Disability Retirement Solidarity Association (EMED) stated that the regulation affects not only citizens who will retire in the future, but also those who retired years ago under the existing legal conditions. Association President Nazlı Tetik argued that disabled citizens who worked for years, paid premiums, and built their lives around their retirement plans now face loss of rights.
"OUR RETIREMENT RIGHT HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM US"
EMED emphasized that disabled citizens struggled in working life for years despite their health conditions, paid their premiums, and made retirement plans trusting the rules in effect. Association President Nazlı Tetik stated that the change affected not only citizens' retirement conditions but also the life plans they had built for years, saying, "We are disabled. We struggled for years with both our health problems and the difficulties of working life. We met all the legal conditions to earn the right to retire and counted the days. Now we cannot access our right; because the criteria were changed all of a sudden and created very severe consequences for us."
"DISABILITY RATES OBTAINED FROM HOSPITALS WERE DISREGARDED"
EMED stated that in the previous system, disability health committee reports obtained from authorized hospitals were taken as the basis in the retirement process, but with the new regulation, citizens are evaluated by the Social Security Institution according to loss of work capacity and disability criteria, and for this reason, many citizens could not obtain the right to retire and faced a high number of rejection decisions.
Tetik said, "Citizens had a disability report that had been valid for years. People planned their lives according to this report. Now, while the same health problems continue, they are faced with a different evaluation system and the reports they hold are considered invalid."
"THE SYSTEM WAS CHANGED WITHOUT A TRANSITION PERIOD"
One of the most important problems EMED drew attention to was that the implementation was initiated without adequate prior information and without establishing a transition period during which citizens could adapt to the new system. The association stated that citizens who worked for years, completed their insured years and premium days, or were months, weeks, and even days away from completing them, being affected by the new system constitutes a serious grievance, and argued that the future plans citizens had made for years were turned upside down all of a sudden.
In the evaluation made by EMED, it was stated, "People were counting the days to their retirement. Some were calculating a few months, some a few weeks. The rules changed all of a sudden. Disabled citizens were left to bear the burden of this change alone. Anxiety about the future and uncertainty arose, and their psyches were turned upside down."
EMED emphasized that protective and fair transition provisions are necessary, especially for disabled individuals who have been in working life for many years.
ECONOMIC REASONS AND CLAIMS OF REPORT ABUSE
EMED stated that among the justifications for the change in the disability retirement system with Law No. 7538, economic reasons and claims that disability health reports were abused were brought to the forefront.
The association stated that claims that some reports were obtained contrary to the truth or that the system was abused were brought up as a justification in the reorganization of the disability retirement system.
However, it argued that the real problem here is not identifying the situations where abuse is claimed, but that the system change directly affects disabled citizens with real health problems.
Tetik evaluated, "If there is abuse in a system, it should be identified and necessary audits should be conducted. However, making it difficult for people with real health problems to access retirement rights under this justification creates new grievances."
"THE PENSIONS OF THOSE WHO RETIRED WERE ALSO CUT"
EMED stated that Law No. 7538 has also had serious consequences for citizens whose pensions were previously granted within the scope of disability retirement.
The association stated that in the applications reaching them, some citizens' retirement pensions were cut and they experienced problems regarding their health insurance.
EMED, stating that cutting the income of people who have earned the right to retire and have been living on their retirement pension for years creates serious problems in family budgets, evaluated, "Retired citizens established their entire life order accordingly. The cutting of the pension is not just a loss of income; it is directly the disruption of their life order."
"WE ARE DISABLED, WE ALSO WANT TO LIVE AND HAVE SECURITY"
EMED emphasized that the demands of disabled citizens are not privileges.
The association stated that the real working-life conditions of citizens undergoing cancer treatment, living with chronic diseases such as epilepsy and heart failure, or with visual, hearing, or limb loss should be taken into account.
Tetik expressed this call as, "We are disabled. We struggled for years to work, produce, pay premiums, and sustain our lives. What we want is not privilege; it is seeing the loss of work capacity we suffer because we are disabled and the difficulties we experience."
THE CASE AT THE AYM HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR 18 MONTHS
EMED stated that the case filed at the Constitutional Court with file number E. 2025/78 for the annulment of Law No. 7538 has been ongoing for approximately 18 months.
The association, stating that disabled citizens facing loss of rights days, weeks, or months before retirement experience serious economic and social grievances in this process, drew attention to the importance of the decision.
Tetik said, regarding the effects of the lengthy legal process, "Disabled citizens have been waiting for the outcome of this decision for 18 months. Every passing day, it affects another person's life. We now want our voices to be heard and this grievance to be seen."
APPLICATION WAS MADE TO THE UN
EMED announced that, stating they could not obtain results from their initiatives in Turkey, they have carried the rights violations experienced to international platforms. In this context, it was reported that official applications were made to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the relevant special rapporteurs.
The application included two fundamental demands. The first was the restoration of the acquired pension rights of disabled citizens whose retirement rights were revoked, or who, despite being insured before October 2008, suffered a loss of rights; the second was the establishment of a system for disabled citizens insured after October 2008 that is in line with international human rights standards, fair, and does not create grievances.
EMED also announced that it is ready to share the reports it has prepared, its field research, and the UN application file with the public.