Business · Economy · 1 day ago
Higher pensions in Turkey require higher declared earnings and more work
A Turkish pension advice column explains how workers can raise their future pension.
It says pension amounts are based on average insured earnings across a person’s working life, alongside the number of contribution days.
Declaring actual earnings rather than a lower amount can help, and more days of contributions can also increase the pension.
The reader is a 1979-born Turkish worker now employed abroad, with 7,000 contribution days in Turkey.
The column says they need 7,200 days and cannot use optional insurance while living abroad; it suggests completing the shortfall by working in Turkey when possible.
It says the reader may qualify to cover missing days through military service contributions, if eligible, but advises against borrowing contributions for work abroad.
The reader is 60 before pension eligibility, and the column says paying a high amount to borrow contributions would not be worthwhile for raising the pension.
A Habertürk article says working in a high-paid job for as long as possible in Türkiye can raise a future pension.
It says pension calculations for work after 2000 use average earnings subject to premiums across a person’s working life.
The article advises workers to ensure their actual earnings are recorded on payroll and says longer premium contributions at higher earnings can increase pensions.
In response to a reader, it says he needs 200 more premium days to reach 7,200 and cannot complete them through voluntary insurance while living abroad.
It says he can complete the missing days by working in Türkiye before reaching pension age, which the article gives as 60.
- Who
- A Habertürk columnist and a reader identified as Mehmet Gökhan Y.
- What
- The article explains how higher reported earnings and longer premium contributions can raise a Turkish pension.
- When
- Published on October 10, 2026.
- Where
- Türkiye; the reader says he is currently working abroad.
- Why
- The article answers how the reader might increase his future pension and outlines general factors used in pension calculations.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The higher the earnings and the longer the period for which premiums are paid, the higher the pension will be.
To increase your pension, the only way left is to work in a high-paid job in Türkiye for as long as possible.
Pension calculations were based on earnings subject to premiums in the final 10 years of work.
A law took effect ending the practice of calculating pensions using only the final 10 years’ earnings.
The article says pension calculations began taking account of average earnings subject to premiums across a person’s working life.
Habertürk published the article responding to the reader’s pension question.
- Reader’s age
- Born in 1979
- Insurance start date
- October 2, 2011
- Premium days completed
- 7,000
- Days needed for eligibility
- 7,200
- Missing premium days
- 200
- Pension age stated
- 60
Sources
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