21.10.2026 15:50
SGK Chief Specialist İsa Karakaş predicted that the 2027 minimum wage increase would be at least 30%, raising the net salary to 36,498 TL, while calling for low-interest housing loans to retirees in cooperation with TOKİ and for weekly working hours to be reduced to 40 hours.
As millions of employees and retirees have their eyes fixed on the 2027 salary increases, noteworthy assessments and formulas have come from SGK Chief Specialist İsa Karakaş. Examining the new year budget submitted to Parliament, Karakaş predicted that the minimum wage increase will not remain below 30 percent; he argued that low-interest housing loans could be provided to retirees in cooperation with TOKİ through SGK's budget surplus.
LOWER LIMIT FOR MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE: 30 PERCENT
Sharing his calculations based on the tax exemption items in the budget submitted to Parliament, Karakaş stated that he believes the minimum wage increase for 2027 will be at least 30 percent. Karakaş also recalled that the official amount will be finalized as a result of the commission negotiations.
- Current net minimum wage: 28,075 lira 50 kuruş
- Increase amount: 8,422 lira 65 kuruş
- Increase rate: 30%
- New minimum wage: 36,498 lira 15 kuruş
LOW-INTEREST HOUSING LOAN FORMULA FOR RETIREES
Recalling that SGK provided housing loan support to workers' cooperatives in the past, Karakaş drew attention to the fact that the institution's 2025 budget ran a surplus of 35.7 billion TL. Karakaş conveyed his proposal in these words: "In the past, SSK was instrumental in the construction of more than 233,000 homes, and even Bağ-Kur contributed to the production of thousands of homes. Today, SSK, Bağ-Kur and Emekli Sandığı are under one roof and much stronger. SGK's 2025 budget ran a surplus of 35 billion 700 million lira. Even with interest on the state contribution, low-interest housing loans can be provided to retirees in cooperation with TOKİ. Since direct deductions will be made from the retiree's salary, the institution's money will not be put at risk either. If this simple formula is implemented, both rents will fall and retirees will become homeowners."
'ELECTION' EFFECT ON SALARIES
Stating that there is currently no picture in the budget indicating high-rate additional increases for civil servants and retirees, the SGK Chief Specialist said that as the election process is entered, salary increases could be raised through supplementary budgets. Stating that the current budget does not yet have the character of an 'election budget,' Karakaş assessed that a possible early election could be held in late 2027 or in April 2028.
"WEEKLY WORKING TIME SHOULD BE REDUCED TO 40 HOURS"
Noting that Turkey's 45-hour weekly working time is above European standards, İsa Karakaş called for reducing working hours and said, "Do we work more efficiently than European countries? The answer is no. It is time for us to move to the 40-hour practice. If the employer reduces the weekly 45 hours to 40 hours, the state can provide a new incentive for the difference. Reducing working hours will decrease work stress, illnesses and occupational accident costs."