01.09.2026 12:01
The gradual retirement model prepared for employees who remain outside the scope of EYT because they became insured after September 8, 1999, has been submitted to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. In the model, which EMADDER stated would cover approximately 4.5 million employees, it is proposed that the retirement age be gradually increased according to the insurance start year, from 43 to 51 for women and from 45 to 53 for men. The model has not yet become an official regulation.
After the implementation of the regulation for those stuck in the retirement age (EYT), attention has now turned to employees who became insured after September 8, 1999. Those left outside the EYT scope are demanding the implementation of a gradual retirement model, which envisages determining retirement conditions progressively based on the start date of employment.
WHAT IS GRADUAL RETIREMENT?
The basis of the gradual retirement demand is that as the insurance start date advances, the retirement age and the required number of premium days also increase in certain steps.
In the requested system, instead of completely removing the age condition, it is proposed that employees be subject to different retirement conditions based on when they first became insured.
STARTS AT 43 FOR WOMEN AND 45 FOR MEN
In the models brought to the agenda, there are demands for women insured between 1999 and 2000 to be able to retire from age 43 and men from age 45.
It is envisaged that as the employment start date advances, the retirement age will also rise in a stepped manner. In the proposals, the range of 43-51 for women and 45-53 for men stands out. Additionally, it is requested that the required number of premium days be determined gradually according to the insurance start date.
THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE FROM EYT
The main difference between EYT and gradual retirement is the age condition. With the EYT regulation, the age condition was removed for employees who were insured before September 8, 1999, and met other conditions.
In the gradual retirement demand, instead of completely eliminating the age condition, a system is proposed that starts at a lower age depending on the insurance start and rises gradually.
THOSE WHO MISSED EYT BY ONE DAY ARE ALSO INCLUDED
The focus of the demand is particularly on employees who could not enter the EYT scope because they missed the date of September 8, 1999, by one day, a few months, or a few years.
This group demands that the difference in retirement conditions between employees insured before and after September 8 be reduced with a gradual model. Various associations and platforms also keep these demands on the agenda.
NO LEGISLATION HAS BEEN ENACTED YET
The most important point regarding gradual retirement is that there is currently no legal regulation in effect. The age and premium tables that have come to the fore are not finalized retirement conditions, but rather models discussed publicly and submitted to relevant authorities.
Therefore, the possibility of retirement between ages 43-53 is not a right currently in force. A legal regulation is required for gradual retirement to be implemented.
COST DEBATE ALSO ON THE AGENDA
While gradual retirement demands continue, the burden the system would impose on public finances and the social security system is also being discussed. Experts point out that, considering the population structure and economic conditions, a broad-scope regulation allowing retirement in one's 40s could have significant consequences for fiscal sustainability.
For this reason, employees awaiting gradual retirement are focusing their attention on possible statements from the government and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.
MODEL SUBMITTED TO THE MINISTRY
The Association for Justice in Retirement (EMADDER), which brought the gradual retirement demand to the agenda, submitted its proposed solution to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. In a meeting held with Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Security Ahmet Aydın in August 2026, the association's management conveyed the demands of employees who could not enter the EYT scope because they were insured after September 8, 1999, and the gradual retirement model.
In the model proposed by EMADDER, it is requested that age and premium conditions be determined progressively according to the insurance start date. While it is stated that the model could cover approximately 4.5 million employees, a retirement system is proposed that starts at age 43 for women and 45 for men and rises as the employment start year advances.
However, this model does not constitute an official regulation prepared or accepted by the Ministry. There is currently no regulation in effect or an official timeline announced regarding gradual retirement.