Bağ-Kur is a social security scheme in Turkey that enables individuals who have not worked in the private sector or the state to qualify for retirement in later years. This system provides health and pension services to those who have not paid contributions under Emekli Sandığı or SSK. Under Bağ-Kur, contribution-based coverage is offered in exchange for payment for periods such as 15 or 25 years. In this article, we explain the conditions for retirement under Bağ-Kur based on a 15-year contribution period.
If you consistently pay contributions and meet the required age for Bağ-Kur retirement, you become eligible for a Bağ-Kur pension. After reaching the retirement age, you receive benefits corresponding to the contributions you paid in previous years. Typically, men become eligible for Bağ-Kur retirement after at least 25 full years of contributions, which equals 9,000 days. Women who have completed 20 full years can retire with 7,200 days of contributions. However, for Bağ-Kur contributors—who typically face stricter rules compared with SSK—an alternative opportunity exists: being insured for 15 years and paying 5,400 days of contributions can be sufficient. The 15-year Bağ-Kur retirement conditions are summarized below.
Ordinary Retirement at 9,000 Days
As noted above, under normal conditions men may retire from Bağ-Kur after at least 25 full years (9,000 days) of contributions. Women can claim retirement after 20 full years (7,200 days). If men have fewer than 25 years or women have fewer than 20 years but the paid contribution period exceeds 15 years, they may still receive a reduced pension provided they reach a specified age. Under this arrangement, for each year short of the full term—women below 20 years and men below 25 years—the monthly pension is reduced by 1% per missing year.
Full years are taken as the basis
For insured individuals who entered Bağ-Kur on or before April 30, 2008, retirement after 15 years is possible. In calculating eligibility for this option, full years are used rather than strictly counting days, so 5,400 days correspond to 15 full years. In short, those who registered with Bağ-Kur on or before April 30, 2008, are entitled to retire once they have completed 15 full years—that is, 5,400 days—of insured service.
5400-Day Bağ-Kur Retirement for Men
Male insured workers who completed 23 years of insurance service after October 1, 1999, do not necessarily need to wait for the standard retirement age to claim a pension. They are not limited to that route only. Men who have not completed 23 years of insured service may still qualify for partial retirement once they reach age 55, provided they have completed 15 years of insurance and accumulated contributions equivalent to 5,400 days. For details on your specific retirement age under Bağ-Kur, you can consult the relevant Bağ-Kur pension table referenced below.
Bağ-Kur Retirement Conditions for Women
Retirement conditions under Bağ-Kur differ between women and men. For women, after October 1, 1999, the standard requirement is 18 years of insured service and completion of 7,200 contribution days. This means women who meet these requirements do not necessarily need to wait for a specific retirement age to receive benefits. Women who have not met these exact conditions may still qualify for retirement under alternative rules; consult the table below for the specific details on eligibility for Bağ-Kur retirement.