Disabled citizens can acquire the right to become civil servants through official examinations and necessary announcements administered by our government. To do so, they must sit for an exam similar to the KPSS and meet certain eligibility criteria.
Institutions That Recruit Disabled Civil Servants
Recruitment of disabled civil servants can be carried out by any relevant institution and organization in proportion to the rates prescribed by law. Institutions notify the State Personnel Presidency of their needs for disabled personnel based on their staffing requirements.
The Role of the State Personnel Presidency in Disabled Civil Servant Recruitment
The primary duty of the State Personnel Presidency is to assist public institutions and organizations in employing disabled civil servants, to monitor whether institutions comply with the legally required 3% quota for hiring disabled employees, and to oversee the placement of disabled candidates into civil service positions.
Titles Held by Disabled Employees in Public Institutions
Disabled persons are employed in a wide range of positions within public institutions and organizations. Examples of such titles include: lawyer, data preparation and control operator, clerk, computer operator, social worker, janitorial staff, engineer, programmer, secretary, accountant, architect, midwife, physiotherapist, imam, chemist, laboratory technician, statistician, dietitian, and courier.
Steps to Become a Disabled Civil Servant
To become a disabled civil servant in a public institution, applicants must first apply for and participate in the Disabled Public Personnel Selection Examination (EKPSS), which is administered every two years.
Number of Positions Reserved for Disabled Candidates
When determining the number of positions reserved for disabled candidates, the relevant institution or organization should consider 3% of the total filled civil servant positions, including those in provincial and field offices.
Validity Period of the EKPSS
The validity period of the Disabled Public Personnel Selection Examination results is two years. If no new exam is held within that period, the results remain valid until the next exam is administered.
Where and When to Apply for the EKPSS
Application conditions and timelines for the EKPSS, which disabled candidates must take to be eligible for public employment, are published on the official websites of the Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) and the State Personnel Presidency. Applications are made in accordance with the information released on those sites.
Educational Qualifications Required to Apply for the EKPSS
Applications to the EKPSS are organized in two ways. Candidates with primary or middle school education may be selected by lottery, while candidates at the high school, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree level sit for the EKPSS exam designed for those education levels.
Age Limits for Disabled Civil Servants
To qualify as a civil servant, disabled applicants must be at least 18 years old. Those who complete a vocational or arts school may be appointed from the age of 15 provided they have obtained a legal decision of maturity under Article 12 of the Turkish Civil Code. Applicants must also be under 65 years of age.
Eligibility Requirements for EKPSS Applicants
Candidates applying for the EKPSS must meet the following general requirements:
1) Be a citizen of the Republic of Turkey.
2) Be at least 18 years old. (Those who graduate from a vocational or arts school may be appointed at a minimum age of 15 if they have a court decision of maturity according to Article 12 of the Turkish Civil Code.)
3) Not be deprived of public rights.
4) Not have been convicted of offenses such as crimes against the security of the state, constitutional order and its functioning, national defense, state secrets and espionage, embezzlement, bribery, theft, fraud, forgery, abuse of trust, fraudulent bankruptcy, bid-rigging, corrupting the performance of an obligation, laundering assets derived from crime, or smuggling—regardless of whether the periods specified in Article 53 of the Turkish Penal Code have elapsed, and excluding convictions that have been pardoned—nor sentenced to imprisonment for one year or longer for an intentional crime.
5) Meet the military service requirement specified in paragraph 6 of Article 48 of the Civil Servants Law No. 657.
6) Meet the disability definition in Article 4 of the Regulation on the Disabled Public Personnel Selection Examination and the Employment of Disabled Persons in Civil Service, which defines a disabled person as someone who, by birth or later, has a physical, mental, psychological, sensory, or social disability of 40% or more and is able to work, documented by a medical board report; therefore applicants must have at least a 40% workable disability.
7) Fulfill any additional application and appointment requirements for the positions they prefer.
EKPSS Exam Format
The disability exams are administered as multiple-choice tests. Oral examinations are not conducted for these exams.
EKPSS Subjects
a) Principles of Atatürk and History of Turkish Reforms,
b) Basic civic knowledge,
c) Geography of Turkey,
d) Turkish language,
e) Mathematics,
f) Professional knowledge according to the nature of the duties.
Exam questions are prepared according to disability groups. For primary and middle school graduates, questions cover items (a) through (e). For applicants who graduated from high schools, vocational or technical schools, or higher education institutions, questions cover items (a) through (f). Questions are tailored to measure the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the class and position applied for. For applicants with hearing, speech, or intellectual disabilities, questions are prepared taking into account their learning and perception levels, language development, and verbal communication difficulties.
For primary and middle school candidates, questions are based on the curriculum and textbooks published by the Ministry of National Education. For higher education graduates, questions are based on course textbooks used in higher education institutions.