Retirement for People Registered with Both SSK and Bağ-Kur
A person can be registered both as an SSK (employee insurance) and as a Bağ-Kur (self-employment insurance) contributor, but they are not entitled to receive separate pensions from each institution. When an individual meets the retirement requirements, they must choose either SSK or Bağ-Kur for retirement and cancel the other registration. For those who have already satisfied the conditions for retirement, records from both institutions are reviewed, and contributions paid to each are summed and evaluated together.
With the enactment of Law No. 6111, it became possible for individuals to work as SSK employees while also maintaining a Bağ-Kur registration by opening a workplace in their own name. As a result, official records may show both SSK and Bağ-Kur contributions. Previously, people were typically registered with only one institution; now it is possible to be registered and pay contributions to both.
How does this affect the pension?
Because contributions to both institutions are taken into account, the total number of contribution days increases when calculating eligibility, and the combined contribution base often appears higher. This typically leads to a larger pension amount and a higher pay grade when retirement is calculated on the consolidated contributions. There is a common misconception that a person can receive separate pensions from both institutions; in reality, an individual can retire from only one institution.
What should someone who has earned the right to retire do?
According to Article 33 of the omnibus Law No. 6111 and Circular 2011/36, you are not required to close your workplace when switching from Bağ-Kur to SSK. In other words, when you apply for retirement and cancel your Bağ-Kur registration, you do not have to shut down your business. With the appropriate permit, you may continue operating your business without paying Bağ-Kur contributions.
Overlapping registrations
When SSK and Bağ-Kur records overlap, the start date of insurance is the determining factor. The answer to the common question “Which institution will I retire from?” is clearly stated in Law No. 5510: the person retires from the institution with the earlier registration date. Overlaps have been a major source of hardship for contributors. For example, someone who served as a civil servant but had prior Bağ-Kur service could be disadvantaged under previous rules. The amendments introduced by Law No. 6111 addressed these problems by restoring accrued rights and adjusting retirement calculations accordingly.
Under the new regulation, even if Bağ-Kur started before SSK or there is overlap between the two records, the Social Security Institution (SGK) will suspend Bağ-Kur contributions and begin calculating based on SSK contributions once it initiates retirement processing. This ensures that the person’s accrued entitlements are reflected in the retirement calculation.
Previously, individuals who had a Bağ-Kur registration and later began working as SSK employees had to submit a written request to SGK asking for their Bağ-Kur insurance to be suspended. The new law automated this process: once a person starts working as an SSK employee and the system records the change, Bağ-Kur insurance is suspended automatically without needing the individual to file a separate application. This automation also prevents overlap-related losses tied to notification and start dates, providing a practical advantage.
Viewed in this way, someone who is both an SSK employee and a Bağ-Kur contributor can still achieve retirement. When the retirement conditions are met, contributions are aggregated for the calculation, overlap is prevented, and accrued rights are preserved in the final pension computation. With Law No. 6111, SGK has both protected individuals’ retirement rights and provided additional advantages in handling dual registrations.