The earned right salary grade (KHA) and the salary grade used to calculate retirement contributions (EKEA) for civil servants subject to Law 5434 are crucial factors that affect the amounts of retirement pensions and severance payments. For those serving in positions with a 3600 or higher supplementary indicator, it is especially important that the KHA grade reaches 1st degree before retirement. Details about how this grade is determined and why it matters are provided below.
What are KHA and EKEA?
For public servants whose service began before October 1, 2008, there are two different adjustment (intibak) procedures related to the degrees and steps they may be eligible for based on their education and prior service. The first is the Earned Right Salary (Kazanılmış Hak Aylığı, KHA) adjustment, carried out under the provisions of Law No. 657 on Civil Servants. The second is the Salary Subject to Retirement Contributions (Emekli Keseneğine Esas Aylık, EKEA) adjustment, performed under the supplementary Article 18 of Law No. 5434.
Periods of service carried out under different statuses—worker, tradesperson, or civil servant—are combined and evaluated during the intibak process while in civil service.
The EKEA intibak covers the alignment of all these service periods for the purpose of determining the salary base that retirement contributions are calculated on. The KHA intibak, by contrast, aligns the portions of prior service that are directly related to the civil service profession and certain comparable periods spent as a worker or tradesperson.
EKEA determines the salary base used to calculate retirement pension and severance pay, but it does not by itself account for the title-related additional indicator figure. KHA, on the other hand, is the adjustment that allows the title-based supplementary indicator to be applied when calculating earned-right salary, thus affecting pension and severance calculations.
In short, EKEA sets the pensionable salary and severance base derived from insured service, while KHA is the adjustment that may enable higher title-based indicators to be recognized in retirement calculations.
For conditions related to retirement with 3600 days, see: https://www.ssk.biz.tr/3600-gunden-emeklilik/
What is the 3600 Supplementary Indicator? Why KHA Grade Matters for Benefiting from 3600
The announcement of the 3600 supplementary indicator benefit brought relief to many occupational groups. This indicator can increase retirement pensions for eligible personnel. In benefiting from the 3600 supplementary indicator at retirement, the KHA grade has become a significant factor. Individuals can request detailed information from the Social Security Institution (SGK) to learn their current KHA and 3600 indicator status. As noted above, both KHA and EKEA grades influence the amounts of retirement severance and monthly pensions.
Those serving in positions with a 3600 or higher supplementary indicator should ensure that their KHA grade reaches 1st degree before retiring. However, having a 1st-degree KHA does not automatically guarantee entitlement to the 3600 supplementary indicator; conditions for benefit vary by occupation and status. Therefore, personnel in 3600-or-higher indicator roles should confirm that their earned-right salary grade (KHA) is indeed at 1st degree and verify all related eligibility requirements with SGK before applying for retirement.
Confirming both KHA and EKEA status ahead of retirement helps prevent unexpected reductions in pension or severance amounts and ensures that any applicable supplementary indicators are correctly applied. If you are uncertain about your intibak outcomes or how previous service periods have been assessed, submit a formal inquiry to SGK or consult your personnel office to obtain precise, personalized information.