Flash application from retirees for bank promotions! They issued a call to the SGK and banks

With the raises made to retirement pensions at the beginning of 2026, the lowest retirement pension rose to 20 thousand liras. Following this development, approximately 17 million retirees are expecting an increase in bank promotions, which are paid every three years. Currently, banks offer varying amounts of promotion options and various opportunities to retirees who want to become their customers. However, promotion amounts differ from bank to bank.

Turkey Retirees Association (TÜED) Chairman Kazım Ergün stated that they have been fighting for years for retirees to be granted the right to bank promotions, and noted that as a result of this struggle, promotion payments have been made to retirees in exchange for their salaries since 2015. Ergün emphasized that they are persistent in improving promotion opportunities.

Claiming that public banks offer low figures regarding promotions despite their wide branch networks, Ergün stated that this situation also negatively affects private banks.

"We see that public banks with widespread branch networks are stingier when it comes to promotions. This attitude of public banks also affects the figures of private banks. Public banks should increase their figures, and private banks should be more competitive. When determining the promotion figure, it should also be taken into account that the figure is for three years, that the retirement pension increases 6 times in three years, and that 6 holiday bonuses are received," he said.

Ergün also stated that TÜED wants to have a say in the determination of promotion amounts, adding the following:

"Millions of retirees are forced to negotiate with banks individually for salary promotions. This situation creates grievances, especially for retirees who are at an advanced age and in an economically fragile state. The SGK should conduct bank promotion negotiations with all banks in a transparent, competitive, and participatory manner. In such a scenario, we as TÜED also want to be at the table in promotion negotiations."

It was also stated that a large number of TÜED members have applied to the Ombudsman Institution (KDK) on the grounds that the current promotion practice is insufficient. Regarding these applications, Ergün noted the following:

"Our members, who believe that the current practice where retirees are forced into individual bargaining is not in accordance with law and equity, have applied to the KDK. The main demand here is for the KDK to issue a recommendation decision for the SGK to make administrative and legal arrangements that will allow it to make corporate promotion agreements with banks on behalf of retirees. We want retirees to have a stronger hand regarding bank promotions. We believe that this right is too important to be left to the initiative of banks."

News Source: 12punto