Retirement and Social Security

Coordination on Turkish social security, not a determination of your eligibility

Retirement and social security in Turkey are administered by the Social Security Institution (Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu, SGK), the state body that records contributions, sets eligibility rules and issues retirement decisions. FTurkey is a consulting and coordination company, not SGK and not a licensed sosyal güvenlik danışmanı (social security consultant); FTurkey cannot determine your retirement eligibility, calculate your pension amount or issue any official decision. Within an agreed written scope, FTurkey can help foreign nationals working or having worked in Turkey understand how the SGK system generally applies to them, organise their contribution records, and coordinate with SGK or a licensed specialist for a formal assessment.

How SGK contributions generally work for foreign employees

A foreign national legally employed in Turkey under a Turkish employment contract is, in most cases, registered with SGK by the employer and pays contributions on the same basis as a Turkish employee, covering short-term risks, long-term insurance (including retirement) and general health insurance. Contribution records accumulate under an individual's SGK sicil number and can be reviewed through the e-Devlet portal. FTurkey can help you register for e-Devlet access, request a contribution history (hizmet dökümü) and understand the terminology used, but does not itself hold or issue SGK records.

Totalization agreements: checked case by case, not assumed

Turkey has bilateral social security agreements with a number of countries, which can allow contribution periods paid abroad and in Turkey to be combined (totalized) toward retirement eligibility, and can affect which country's system a posted worker contributes to. Whether your nationality or your specific work history falls under such an agreement, and what it means for your case, needs to be confirmed with SGK or the relevant foreign institution — it should never be assumed. FTurkey can help identify whether an agreement potentially applies to your situation and gather the documents typically requested to invoke it, but the substantive determination is made by SGK.

Understanding retirement age and eligibility factors

Turkish retirement eligibility depends on a combination of factors that can include the date of first registration with SGK, the total number of contribution days, and age thresholds that have changed across different reform periods — meaning two people with similar careers can face different rules depending on when they first entered the system. FTurkey does not calculate a retirement date or pension amount; this requires a case-specific review by SGK or a licensed social security consultant using your full contribution record.

Coordinating with SGK and licensed specialists

Where useful, FTurkey can help schedule an appointment at an SGK office (or via ALO 170, the SGK helpline), prepare a document set for submission, arrange translation of correspondence, and coordinate an introduction to an independent licensed social security consultant or attorney for a formal eligibility opinion or a contested decision. FTurkey does not represent you before SGK, does not submit official retirement applications on your behalf unless explicitly agreed as a coordination task, and does not appeal SGK decisions.

What this service does not include

This service is not legal, tax or actuarial advice, and does not extend to pension payment calculations, healthcare entitlement determinations, or representation in an SGK dispute. Foreign employer obligations, payroll registration and general employment compliance are handled under a separate scope where relevant.

Request a proposal

Request a quote describing your nationality, employment history in Turkey, and what you would like to clarify about your SGK contributions or eligibility. FTurkey can then propose a written scope for the orientation, document organisation and coordination support available for your case.