05.11.2026 16:51
While budget negotiations for the Ministry of Treasury and Finance continue at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, SGK Chief Expert İsa Karakaş announced scenarios for the lowest pension regarding the January increases and evaluated the possibility of a flat-rate increase between 10,000 TL and 15,000 TL being discussed in backstage circles.
Discussions on the 2027 budget of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance have begun in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) Plan and Budget Committee. Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek, who made a presentation at the committee, also made statements regarding retirees' purchasing power, and stated that resources have been allocated for this purpose in the 2027 budget. Şimşek said, "We are allocating resources in the 2027 budget to support our retirees' purchasing power." In the minister's statement, no details were shared regarding the amount or implementation method of the improvement that could be made to retiree pensions.
THE NUMBER ONE AGENDA ITEM OF THE PEOPLE'S ALLIANCE
A striking statement on the matter also came from İsa Karakaş, Chief Expert of the Social Security Institution (SGK). Karakaş explained that retirees' demands had been conveyed to all components of the People's Alliance and that the President was also closely following the issue. Reminding that October inflation came in at 2.18 percent, Karakaş listed the legal raise rates as follows if the November (1.18 percent) and December (0.97 percent) forecasts in the Central Bank expectation surveys materialize:
- SSK and Bağ-Kur retirees: An 8.28 percent raise has already been guaranteed. With the year-end result, this rate will reach 10.62 percent.
- Civil servants and retired civil servants: A 6.26 percent increase has already been finalized. According to year-end expectations, the raise rate will be 8.56 percent.
NEW CALCULATION FOR THE LOWEST RETIREE AND CIVIL SERVANT SALARIES
Sharing the lowest salary figures in the event that no welfare share or flat-rate raise is made, Karakaş reported the levels the current picture will reach:
- Lowest retiree pension: The amount, which is 23,552 TL today, will rise to 26,054 TL with a 10.62 percent increase.
- Lowest retired civil servant pension: The current salary of 31,527 TL will become 34,225 TL with an 8.56 percent increase.
- Lowest civil servant salary: It will rise from 70,224 TL to 76,253 TL.
FLAT-RATE RAISE AFFECTING 5 MILLION RETIREES AND CORRIDOR TALK FIGURES
Drawing attention to the fact that the lowest pension application covered 800,000 people in 2019 and has now reached 5 million 100 thousand people, Karakaş warned that the distinction discussed in the corridors between retirees under and over 65 or working and non-working retirees could create new problems. Reminding of the 2023 bonus process, Karakaş emphasized that it would be fair for the regulation to cover all retirees.
Conveying corridor information from AK Party organizations and MPs, Karakaş stated that the strongest alternative on the table was a flat-rate raise:
- 10,000 TL - 15,000 TL flat-rate raise: In line with demands from AK Party and MHP benches, a flat-rate raise option of at least 10,000 TL and at most 15,000 TL is being discussed.
- Budget and legal process: It was stated that the 15,000 TL flat-rate raise could require a supplementary budget in terms of budget balances, but could be covered with Treasury resources. It was noted that all these arrangements would be implemented not within the SGK but through a legislative article to be passed by Parliament.