Has a Retirement Law Been Passed for Women Married 25 Years? There is encouraging news for women living in Turkey who have no income security and do not work: a bill aimed at providing retirement for women married at least 25 years has been submitted to the Parliament. This proposal targets housewives who have never held a regular insured job, women around age 50 or older who remained at home, and those who previously worked but later left employment.
The bill addressing housewives — women who have devoted themselves to home and family life and whose marriages have lasted at least 25 years — has now been presented to the Grand National Assembly. The proposal has appeared in public debate several times and was reintroduced at the end of 2019.
The draft law designed to enable non-working women who have been married for at least 25 years and who are at least 50 years old to qualify for an old-age pension was submitted to the Parliamentary Commission on 30.12.2019. The proposal, which has recurred in public discussion, was moved to the Assembly agenda in late 2019. If enacted, it would require fulfillment of certain conditions; the details and eligibility criteria are summarized below.
The content of the bill submitted to Parliament is outlined as follows.
Details of the Bill for Women Married 25 Years
| Signatories | Text of the Draft Law |
| Parliamentary Term and Year | 27 / 3 |
| File Number | 2 / 2492 |
| Date Submitted to the Presidency | 30.12.2019 |
| Title of the Proposal | Draft Law Amending the Social Insurances and General Health Insurance Law |
| Summary of the Proposal | The draft aims to allow women who have been married at least 25 years, who have reached age 50, and who have not been covered by any pension or regular income to acquire entitlement to an old-age pension by purchasing credited periods. |
| Status of the Proposal | In Committee |
Will Women Married 25 Years Be Given the Right to Retire?
According to the bill titled “Draft Law Amending the Social Insurances and General Health Insurance Law,” submitted to Parliament on 30.12.2019, women who have been married 25 years or more and who are unable to work — including those who previously worked but had to leave their jobs — are the primary beneficiaries of the proposed regulation.
According to 2019 TURKSTAT figures cited in the proposal, there are roughly 11 million housewives across the country. The bill’s rationale notes the absence of specific provisions for housewives in the current social security system. Recognizing that housework represents substantial labor that often goes unrecognized, the proposal seeks to strengthen the social protection of women who stayed at home by allowing them to obtain an old-age pension under defined conditions if they have no insurance record.
Insured Period for Women Married 25 Years
“Insured period” refers to the span during which a person is officially recorded as insured and pays premiums. For insured individuals, this period determines entitlement to old-age, disability and survivors’ benefits — from the insurance start date until retirement or death. During insured periods, individuals contribute premium payments that also enable access to state-provided health services.
What Are the Conditions to Retire by Being Married 25 Years?
The draft law submitted on 30.12.2019 aims to open a retirement pathway for women who have not been able to work and have no current insurance affiliation. If the proposal becomes law, housewives who have been married at least 25 years and unable to obtain formal employment would be able to qualify for a pension under certain terms.
Eligibility would require meeting several conditions. If the bill is enacted, the expected conditions include:
- No existing affiliation or claim to Social Security Institution benefits,
- Proof that the marriage has lasted at least 25 years,
- If the woman previously had insured periods under the social security system, she must currently not be registered with the Social Security Institution.
Qualified housewives who meet these criteria would be able to obtain an old-age pension by purchasing required premium days or paying a lump-sum amount, subject to age limits, required premium days and income thresholds defined in the law. In short, women seeking retirement through this route would still be required to make some payments to secure eligibility.
What Does the 25-Year Requirement Mean for Retirement?
Although severance pay conditions can be strict, meeting 25 years of service and 4,500 premium days can simplify certain entitlements. Common requirements related to these matters include:
- At least one year of employment at the workplace for severance pay eligibility,
- First insurance registration on or after 8 September 1999,
- A minimum of 4,500 days of paid premiums.
If these conditions are met, an insured worker should provide written proof to the employer that the 25-year and 4,500-day requirements are satisfied before leaving the job in order to claim severance. Employers are obliged to pay severance when the legal conditions are fulfilled.
There are also scenarios under SSK where the 25-year rule applies for partial retirement. Below is a summary of how 25-year rules affect SSK insured workers.
Text of the Draft Law Submitted to Parliament for Housewives’ Retirement
Under file number 2/2492, dated 06.01.2020, the draft forwarded to the Parliamentary Commission proposes that women who have been married at least 25 years and have reached age 50 but cannot retire under current rules be granted retirement rights.
Accordingly:
Article 1 proposes adding a new article to Law No. 5510 on Social Insurances and General Health Insurance dated 31.05.2006.
“Additional Article 20 — Women who are not insured under this law, whose marriage dates show that they have completed at least 25 years of marriage, who have reached age 50 and who have not been entitled to any pension or income may, in accordance with the procedures and principles set out in Article 41 of this Law, become eligible for retirement by purchasing at least 7,200 days of premiums.
For women who previously have paid premium days under Article 4 of the same law, those paid days will be deducted from the required days indicated in the first paragraph. Periods during which these women have been insured under this law will be combined in accordance with Law No. 2829. Procedures and principles for the application of this article will be regulated by a regulation to be issued by the Institution.”
With the increase in the minimum wage at the start of the year, the daily rates used to calculate purchase amounts were updated. For 2020, the daily purchase rates are given as examples:
- Overseas Purchase Daily Rate: 44.14 TL
- Other Purchase Daily Rate: 31.39 TL
SSK Insured Workers: Retirement with 25 Years and 4,500 Days
The 25-year rule also applies for some SSK-insured individuals. People whose first insurance entry occurred between 8 September 1999 and 30 April 2008 may qualify for partial retirement if they have reached the relevant age, completed 25 years of insured service and accumulated 4,500 premium days.
Under partial retirement rules, insured men generally must meet age 60, 25 years of insurance and 4,500 paid days. For women under SSK seeking partial retirement, the conditions typically are reaching age 58, completing 25 years of insured service and paying at least 4,500 premium days. When these conditions are met, SSK-insured women may retire under the partial retirement provisions.