24.12.2025 15:51
President Erdoğan wished for the minimum wage, set at 28,075.50 Turkish lira with a 27% increase, to be beneficial. He announced that the minimum wage cost support provided to employers has been raised from 1,000 lira to 1,270 lira. Erdoğan did not make any statements regarding the share of welfare in his announcement.
The minimum wage amount to be applied for 2026 has been set at 28,075 TL. Accordingly, a total increase of 27% has been made to the minimum wage. President Erdoğan, whose eyes were turned to him due to expectations of a welfare share, made the first statement regarding the minimum wage.
Erdoğan stated at the Expanded Provincial Chairmen's Meeting of his party, "I wish the new minimum wage to be beneficial for our workers and employers. The net minimum wage has increased by 27%," he said. Erdoğan announced that the minimum wage cost support given to employers has been raised to 1,270 TL. "Additionally, the minimum wage support we applied at 1,000 TL will continue this year at 1,270 TL," he said.
HE DID NOT MENTION THE WELFARE SHARE
The announced minimum wage had come under the hunger threshold of 29,828 TL announced by Türk-İş, bringing the welfare share to the agenda. While eyes were turned to Erdoğan's statements in this regard, the President did not address this issue in his speech.
THE HUNGER THRESHOLD WAS SET AT 29,828 TL
According to Türk-İş's research, the hunger threshold for a family of four living in Ankara in November is 29,828 TL, and the poverty threshold is at 97,159 TL. The monthly living cost for a single worker is 38,752 TL.
HERE ARE OTHER ITEMS THAT WILL CHANGE WITH THE MINIMUM WAGE
After the increase in the minimum wage, nearly 100 items will be affected, ranging from unemployment benefits to severance and notice pay, from maternity leave payments to social assistance.
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT
The unemployment benefit is calculated based on the average earnings of the insured for the last four months. The lower limit is set at 40% of the gross minimum wage; the upper limit is determined as 80%. In 2025, the unemployment benefit was applied at a minimum of 10,323 TL and a maximum of 20,804 TL. With the 27% increase in the minimum wage, the unemployment benefit will rise to a minimum of 13,212 TL and a maximum of 26,424 TL. After the stamp tax is deducted, the maximum unemployment benefit will be 26,280 TL.
The minimum wage increase will affect nearly 100 items! Here are the new amounts item by item.
WHAT ARE THE NEW MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM SEVERANCE PAYMENTS?
A person working for minimum wage is entitled to severance pay equivalent to the gross minimum wage for one year of service. Therefore, with the increase in the minimum wage, the minimum severance pay will also rise by the same rate. The severance pay, which is currently 25,808 TL, will increase to 33,030 TL in 2026 with a 27% increase. The maximum severance pay is determined according to the civil servant salary coefficient. The maximum severance pay will be determined by the increase in civil servant salaries.
NOTICE PAY WILL ALSO INCREASE
With the increase in the minimum wage, the notice pay to be paid to an employee who is dismissed in 2026 will also rise. After the 27% increase, the two-week notice payment for those with less than six months of service will increase from 10,223 TL to 12,983 TL. Similarly, the four-week payment for those working between six months and 1.5 years will rise from 20,446 TL to 25,966 TL with a 27% increase. For those working between 1.5 and 3 years, the six-week payment will increase from 30,670 TL to 38,951 TL. Finally, for those working more than three years, the eight-week payment will rise from 40,893 TL to 51,934 TL.
The payment for the 112-day report given to mothers on maternity leave is currently at least 64,724 TL. With the 27% increase in the minimum wage, the lowest amount to be paid to mothers on maternity leave will rise to 84,788 TL and 82,199 TL.
DAILY REPORT PAYMENT FOR INPATIENT AND OUTPATIENT TREATMENT
If an insured person is to be treated as an inpatient, half of their gross daily earnings are paid by SGK. In the case of outpatient treatment, this payment is two-thirds of the gross daily wage. The report payment for a person working for minimum wage will be 577.88 TL for outpatient treatment and 433.41 TL for inpatient treatment in 2025. The daily report payment will rise to 732 TL for outpatient treatment and 550 TL for inpatient treatment.
The minimum wage increase will affect nearly 100 items! Here are the new amounts item by item.
PAYMENTS TO PART-TIME WORKERS HAVE INCREASED
After maternity leave, employers pay part-time workers half of the salary, while İŞKUR makes the remaining payment based on the gross minimum wage. Currently, this payment of 12,904 TL will increase to 16,388 TL with a 27% increase. The half salary of 11,052 TL received by a minimum wage worker from the employer will also benefit from the increase.
WHAT WILL THE STIPEND AND APPRENTICE WAGES BE?
The stipends and apprentice wages paid to young people receiving vocational training will also be directly affected by the regulation. Currently, in workplaces with less than 20 employees, apprentices receive 3,315 TL, while those with more employees receive 6,631 TL. For students who have obtained the qualification for apprenticeship, the minimum wage is 11,052 TL. With the 27% increase, apprentice payments will rise to 4,210 TL, and the apprenticeship wage will increase to 14,036 TL.
65-YEAR-OLD PENSIONS WILL ALSO INCREASE
With the increase in the minimum wage, the 65-year-old pension, disability pensions, and voluntary insurances will also change. Additionally, military and maternity debt payments and disability benefits will also be increased by the same rate. The 65-year-old pension, which is currently 5,390.40 TL, will rise to an average of 6,845 TL.
MILITARY AND MATERNITY DEBT PAYMENTS
With the minimum wage increase, maternity and military debt payments will rise to a minimum of 352 TL daily and 10,560 TL monthly.
CALCULATION FOR WIDOW AND ORPHAN PENSIONS
With the new increase rates, widow and orphan pensions will also increase according to civil servant salaries. According to the 17.57% increase rate, the monthly amount for those with a 75% rate will rise from 12,540 TL to 14,733 TL. The monthly amount for those with a 50% rate will increase from 8,360 TL to 9,830 TL, and for those with a 25% rate, it will rise from 4,180 TL to 4,915 TL.
HOW MUCH WILL THE DISABILITY PENSION BE?
The disability pension also varies according to the civil servant coefficient and the disability rate. The pension for those with a disability rate between 40-69% will rise from 4,243 TL to an average of 5,525 TL to 5,950 TL, while those with a disability rate of 70% and above will see their pension increase from 6,363 TL to between 8,320 TL and 8,960 TL. The disability relative pension given to poor families with at least one child under 18 with a disability rate of at least 40% will also rise from 4,303 TL to between 5,525 TL and 5,950 TL.
GENERAL HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS
The General Health Insurance (GSS) premium was applied at 780.17 TL per month in 2025. The GSS premium rate, calculated based on 3% of the gross minimum wage, has been increased to 6% with the new decision. As of December 1, 2025, the monthly GSS premium will rise from 780.17 TL to 1.
It has increased to 560.33 lira. After the minimum wage increase, the GSS premium will be 1,981 TL per month. The annual GSS premium will rise to 23,851 TL.
BES DEDUCTION
The Individual Retirement System (BES) deduction has been increased by 27% from 780.09 TL to 990.79 TL.
VOLUNTARY INSURANCE PREMIUM
The voluntary insurance premium has increased to a minimum of 10,900 TL and a maximum of 98,100 TL.
BAĞ-KUR PREMIUMS
Bağ-Kur premiums are calculated based on the income declared by the insured. After the 27% increase, Bağ-Kur premiums, which are determined at 7.5 times the gross minimum wage, will rise to 9,680 TL for tradespeople and 9,950 TL for farmers.