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Is Turkey a good place to retire?

Is Turkey a good place to retire?

Retirement is the right that people when they lose their working power and abilities and withdraw their income from working life. Thanks to retirement, workers, officers or independent employees who pay premiums or incentives leave the job at the end of a period determined by the law and receive a monthly wage without a service allowance.

Until the 19th century, as there were no old-age pensions or retirement like many social rights, employees were usually involved in working life until their death or to their personal and family wealth. This right became available in the late nineteenth century when social security systems began to develop. Today, in most developed countries, social security systems have been developed and employees have the right to retirement in order to prevent their suffering from being out of the labour force at an advanced age. Retirement pensions can be covered by the premiums deducted from the employees as well as directly by the government. Yet, the livelihood of those who leave the labour force in most developing countries is still provided by their families. Retirement age varies from country to country. The retirement age, which can vary between 55-70, may also vary by gender. Employees in occupational branches, which are often called dangerous or corrosive, are entitled to early retirement.

However, pension-related problems vary from country to country and time. Even in developed countries where developments in health and nutrition increase the average human life, retirees' second job demand is increasing due to insufficient income.
For Turkish citizens, the retirement age is 58 for females and 60 for males. When the retirement age and premiums are completed, the state will make a mass payment or monthly payment.



Social rights of foreign workers in Turkey
In the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey "Everyone has the right to social security." provision is included. This statement also includes the social rights of foreigners.
The Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Law also addresses this issue. According to the law;
“Except for the nationality of the country that has an international social security contract on the basis of reciprocity, those who work with a service contract from foreign nationals are considered to be insured according to the 4 / a (SSK) clause.”

The important point for foreigners is; in this case, the Social Security Institution must be aware they began working in Turkey.

Can Foreigners Benefit from Health Rights?
Foreign nationals should personally apply to the nearest social security centre to benefit from general health insurance. Turkey has more than 600 social security centre to make this application in general.
  • Foreigners have been granted a residence permit in Turkey,
  • Foreigners who have not insurance in a foreign country,
  • Foreigners who are living for a long time and apply after a year can benefit from universal health insurance in Turkey.
  • Of a Foreigner who is entitled to universal health insurance;
  • Foreigner’s Partner,
  • Child (or children) age of under 18,
  • In the case of high school or equivalent education, children who are under 20 and not married,
  • In the case of higher education, children who have not reached at the age of 25 and are not married,
  • Unmarried children, who are determined to be disabled regardless of age,
  • The mother and father, whose livelihood is determined by the institution can benefit from health insurance.



Can Foreigners Benefit From Unemployment Insurance?
Citizens of countries that have signed social security agreements based on reciprocity with the Republic of Turkey, according to this agreement are subject to unemployment insurance if they are working in Turkey.

Do foreigners have rights such as paid leave, severance pay?
Foreigners who are working in Turkey, have also rights for working hours, overtime work, paid and unpaid leave, severance pay, collective bargaining, contract of employment. They have the same rights as Turkish citizens.

Can foreigners retire from Turkey?
Yes, foreigners can retire from Turkey. Whatever conditions a Turkish citizen has to retire, a foreigner must meet the same conditions. The retirement age of foreign women are 58, and men are 60. Dependent employees must complete 7200 premium days, and independent and public employees must complete 9000 premium days.

It seems that sometimes there is hesitation about whether the workers can benefit or not from the right to social security. However, the right to social security for both Turkish and foreign employees is guaranteed as a constitutional right. As a natural consequence of this, foreign nationals will have the right to retire if they have paid enough premiums since they are not different from Turkish nationals and have completed their age. In fact, widows and orphans will also benefit from this right if they die.



So how is living as a retiree in Turkey?

Retirees in Turkey are living a comfortable life with a monthly salary of money or severance pay that paid by the state. Retirees either continue to live in big cities or continue to live their peaceful lives in coastal towns. Living with children and grandchildren is also quite easy for retirees living in Turkey. Turkey is a great place to retire because you live in a country where the 4 seasons is living and you will always on vacation here. If we need to give an example from Istanbul, you can sit in a central location or live far from the city. You can live in a residence or villa based on your budget and the number of your family members. Since even the centre of Istanbul is like a holiday city, you can directly integrate your life into Istanbul. You can live in a beautiful summer house by the sea in coastal towns or you can buy a house in the centre of the city and buy a residence in one of the coastal towns. You can invest comfortably as property prices are much more affordable than in European countries. At the same time, public transport and health services are free for retirees in Turkey. In Turkey, containing a lot of activity for retirees, you can do gardening, animal husbandry, painting, wood painting, music, sailing and other activities during the rest of your life. Turkey has special workshops in every city in the state and special courses. So, you can live comfortably in your retirement in Turkey with its economic, health, transportation, activity, housing, travel, vacation opportunities.