Military service is the duty of every Turkish young man at age 20. Some fulfill this duty when it is due, while others may defer it for reasons such as education. In addition to deferment, there is also the option of paid military exemption. Insured individuals can still serve in the military. For those insured under Bağ-Kur, the key question is whether their Bağ-Kur coverage is frozen while they are serving.
Bağ-Kur describes the social security coverage for people who do not work in the public sector, civil service, or in regular employment. Those registered under Bağ-Kur pay contributions and, in return, acquire retirement rights similar to other systems like SSK or Emekli Sandığı. They also benefit from state-provided services such as healthcare and certain social supports.
There are different types of Bağ-Kur coverage depending on the activity and legal status of the person. Citizens who meet the conditions for a given category can register for Bağ-Kur and begin paying contributions, which starts their entitlement to related benefits.
Like other insured groups, Bağ-Kur members can go to military service. The commonly asked question is whether Bağ-Kur contributions are suspended during military service. The rules for Bağ-Kur members during military service are set out in Law No. 5510. Individuals who remain registered with Bağ-Kur due to tax liability or company partnership—such as business owners or partners—can continue their economic activities and keep their contributions paid even while they are serving. Their businesses do not automatically close, and contributions can continue to be recorded. For this reason, many Bağ-Kur members do not have their Bağ-Kur status frozen during military service.
When Bağ-Kur members serve in the military, their business and contribution records can remain active. Because contributions can continue, dependents who rely on a Bağ-Kur insured person also keep access to subsidized health services during the military period.
By law, individuals who fall under Bağ-Kur and are serving in the military retain the right to continue their Bağ-Kur coverage. Those who are subject to income tax under real or simplified regimes due to commercial profit or self-employment are also within the Bağ-Kur scope and can maintain their contributions while serving. Likewise, members of boards of directors in joint-stock companies, partners in limited partnerships with share capital, and partners in other corporate forms that fall under Bağ-Kur continue to be covered while they are on military duty.
Voluntary Bağ-Kur contributors also have the option to keep their insurance in force during military service. Voluntary insured persons can arrange to continue paying their contributions while they are enlisted, preserving their insurance continuity.
Another important issue related to military service is “military contribution credit” (askerlik borçlanması). Because Bağ-Kur members’ insurance can remain effective during their military service, they generally cannot claim this period as a debt to the state under the military contribution credit rules. Voluntary insured persons in Bağ-Kur similarly cannot count periods during which their insurance remained active as military contribution debt.
When Service Periods Are Not Insured
There are cases in which individuals are not covered by insurance during their military service. If someone was not insured while serving and later enters the social security system during their working life, they can apply to convert their military service period into credited service through military contribution credit. This allows those service periods to be counted toward retirement.
Those Covered by SSK and Emekli Sandığı
In contrast to Bağ-Kur members, people insured under SSK or Emekli Sandığı are typically not active in employment during their military service and therefore are not considered insured for that period. Their contributions are not paid during military duty, which means these insured groups generally have the right to use military contribution credit to add that time to their retirement record.