EYT regulation increases number of retirees: Balıkesir is becoming a city of retirees

The Retirement Age Victims (EYT) regulation has led to significant increases in the number of retirees across Turkey. In 2022, the number of retirees exceeded the number of active insured workers only in Sinop and Zonguldak, while in 2023, Balıkesir, Bartın, and Giresun were added to these provinces. Retirees sitting in a mosque courtyard in Balıkesir, together with Özdemir Kalkan, Head of the Turkey Retirees Association Balıkesir Branch, evaluated why the city is preferred for its agricultural products, transportation, and health tourism.

According to transportation data, the number of active insured workers per retiree fell from 0.98 to 0.84 in Zonguldak, from 0.96 to 0.85 in Sinop, from 1.11 to 0.99 in Balıkesir, from 1.06 to 0.93 in Giresun, and from 1.05 to 0.93 in Bartın in 2023. Balıkesir has begun to be referred to as a "city of retirees" because the number of active retirees has surpassed the number of working individuals. Retiree İdris Öztoprak stated that job opportunities in the city have decreased and that, for this reason, retirees are not returning to working life.

Retiree Muharrem Bayyurt expressed that early retirement is common in Turkey, noting that retirement ages in Europe are higher. Özdemir Kalkan, Head of the Turkey Retirees Association Balıkesir Branch, emphasized that Balıkesir draws attention with its health tourism and natural beauty, and that the Edremit and Bandırma regions, in particular, are receiving migration. Kalkan said, “If this research had been conducted in the winter months, the results might have been different. Balıkesir is an attractive place for retirees because it has convenient transportation and is a productive city in terms of agriculture.”

WHAT IS EYT?

The EYT (Retirement Age Victims) regulation is a legal arrangement for individuals who have completed a certain number of premium days but were unable to retire because they did not meet the age requirement. In Turkey, those who began working as insured employees, particularly before 1999, gained the right to retire without an age requirement by benefiting from this regulation.

With the regulation, the retirement applications of these individuals are accepted and a pension is granted. EYT is an important issue often discussed in the context of social security reforms and the regulation of the pension system. With the regulations made in 2023, the number of EYT individuals has increased, and these individuals have been included in the pension system.

News Source: İHA