Holiday bonus for retirees leaked from behind the scenes! Eyes turn to the citizenship salary

The increase in the lowest pension, which concerns millions of retirees, has become official. The legal process regarding the increase of the base salary, which was applied as 16,881 TL in 2025, to 20,000 TL has been completed. The regulation accepted in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) has been published in the Official Gazette and entered into force.

Following the decision, retirees began to wonder when the resulting salary differences would be deposited. The Social Security Institution (SGK) made the expected announcement regarding the payment schedule. Accordingly, the difference payments will be transferred to accounts starting tomorrow.

NEW ERA IN BASE SALARY

If it had been increased according to the six-month inflation rate, the lowest pension would have risen from 16,881 TL to 18,939 TL. Following President Erdoğan's instruction to "increase it in line with budget possibilities," it was decided to raise the base salary by 18.48 percent. Thus, the lowest salary for SSK and Bağ-Kur retirees was set at 20,000 TL.

In the current practice, there were approximately 4 million 11 thousand 700 retirees receiving 16,881 TL. With the new regulation, this number rose to 4 million 917 thousand. It was announced that the annual cost of the increase to the budget is 110.2 billion TL.

The regulation covers retirees whose salary remains below 20,000 TL with a 12.19 percent raise and whose base pension is below 17,827 TL.

SCHEDULE FOR DIFFERENCE PAYMENTS FROM SGK

SSK and Bağ-Kur retirees had received their January salaries based on 16,881 TL before the legal regulation was completed. For those whose base salary was above 17,827 TL, the amounts with the 12.19 percent raise had already been deposited.

With the law coming into effect, it has been clarified when the 3,119 TL difference will be paid. According to the statement by the Social Security Institution (SGK), payments will be made to SSK and Bağ-Kur retirees starting February 4.

Accordingly:

• Those whose allocation number ends in 9, 7, or 5,
• Those whose allocation number ends in 3, 1, 8, or 6,
• Those whose allocation number ends in 4, 2, or 0, as well as Bağ-Kur retirees,
• will be able to receive their salary differences from banks or PTT branches on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.

Payments will be deposited automatically in a single installment into the bank or PTT accounts where salaries are received. No application will be required. The SGK announced that a total of approximately 11.4 billion TL will be paid within this scope.

HOW WILL TREASURY SUPPORT BE CALCULATED?

Under the new regulation, a retiree with a base salary of 8,900 TL would normally have received 9,985 TL with a 12.19 percent raise. However, this amount will be topped up to 20,000 TL with Treasury support. A support of 10,000 TL will be provided to a retiree with a base salary of 10,000 TL, 5,000 TL to a retiree with 15,000 TL, and 2,173 TL to a retiree with 17,827 TL.

HOLIDAY BONUS AND 'CITIZENSHIP SALARY' ON THE AGENDA

Following the announcement of the salary difference schedule, the holiday bonus and the income-supplementing family support system, known as the 'citizenship salary,' have come to the forefront of retirees' agendas.

According to the report in Sabah Newspaper, the citizenship salary is planned to be implemented in 2026. The application, which is expected to start in pilot provinces in June, is aimed to be expanded nationwide in the future.

HOW WILL THE NEW SUPPORT MODEL WORK?

A threshold income will be determined for the application. This amount could be set as the minimum wage or at a different level. For families whose income remains below the determined threshold, the difference will be paid by the state as support.

AMOUNTS DISCUSSED FOR BONUSES

Following the lowest pension increase and the work on the citizenship salary, eyes have turned to the Ramadan and Eid al-Adha bonuses. It is being discussed behind the scenes that the bonus could be between 5,000 TL and 5,500 TL, with an increase of 1,000 TL or 1,500 TL. However, it is stated that the 5,000 TL level is a stronger possibility.

WHO WILL RECEIVE THE BONUS?

Holiday bonuses will be given to "those receiving retirement pensions, old-age pensions, duty disability pensions, disability pensions, death pensions, and permanent incapacity income from the Social Security Institution (SGK), as well as relatives of martyrs, veterans, combat veterans, security guards, champion athletes, and civilian citizens harmed by terrorism, along with the beneficiaries of these individuals."