Citizenship salary pilot program to begin in the new year

The citizenship salary, which was among the 2023 election promises, will be implemented in pilot provinces in 2026. Regular support will be provided to families with income below the minimum wage.

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Developed through a joint effort by the Ministry of Family and Social Services and the Presidency's Strategy and Budget Directorate, the citizenship salary will be implemented under the Income Complementary Family Support System. This system aims for every family to reach an income level of at least the minimum wage. Additional support will be provided to families whose income is below the minimum wage, and this support will continue until at least one person in the family finds a job.

According to a report by the pro-government newspaper Türkiye, various support mechanisms will also be activated to integrate employable individuals in these families into the workforce. Depending on the results of the pilot implementation, the system is planned to be expanded nationwide.

The Presidency's 2026 Program states that the social assistance mechanism will be transformed into a family-centered structure that guarantees a minimum income per person. This transformation aims to create a structure that does not hinder labor force participation.

A similar proposal had also been brought to the agenda by the MHP. In his speech at the Planning and Budget Committee, MHP Konya Deputy Mustafa Kalaycı stated that the minimum welfare level should be determined on an index basis and that families should be supported until they reach this level. Kalaycı noted that if this model were to transform the current system into a minimum income support, the difference between the household income and the determined minimum level could be deposited into families' accounts every month. He argued that this would allow for the establishment of a fairer and rights-based order.