In Ottoman society, alms, "fitre," "zekat" and similar religious practices along with the countrywide system of foundations costituted the institutions of social security. The first social security organization in the modern sense, the Military Retirement Fund, was set up in 1866 with the intention of establishing a retirement benefit system for those in the military service. In 1881 a retirement fund for civil servants was founded and the law dated 1325 (1909) initiated the establishment of two separate funds for military and public service retirement. In 1930 a system of benefits was based on paying pensions out of the general budget instead of adopting a contributory fund.This system was limited in extent and only included civil servants who worked in government institutions attached to the general and annexed budgets. This restricted coverage resulted in the establishment of many separate social security funds by special laws for banks, state economic enterprises, local administrations and municipalities. The different systems of retirement which existed side by side led to many difficulties in the determination of the retirement status of civil servants who changed their jobs, etc. On the other hand the increase in pensioners who received their pensions from the budget created payment problems for the government budget. Beginning with 1946 a system was established in which contributions were deducted from the salaries of civil servants who were covered by Law No. 1683. In 1949 the Government Employees Retirement Fund was established by Law No. 5434 extending coverage over civil servants in government institutions attached to the general and annexed budgets and public employees covered by certain other retirement funds which were previously under special laws. The Government Employees Retirement Fund started operations on January 1, 1950.
The Government Employees Retirement Fund, founded with the aim of providing social benefits within a retirement system for government employees, entitles the contributors to the following benefits in accordance with Law No. 5434:
RETIREMENT PENSION: Pension payable to a person who has completed a specific period of service.
JOB DISABILITY PENSION: Pension payable to persons who have suffered a disability arising from when they are on duty according to the degree of disability. Veterans disabled in war who are included in this group are also paid war veterans allowances and certain other benefits.
DISABILITY PENSION: Pension payable to persons who have to leave their job due to a mental or physical disability and who have completed at least 10 years service.
SURVIVORS' PENSION: Pension payable to the survivors (widow, widower, children or parents) of persons who die having completed a specified period of service, of persons whose death is caused by reasons arising from duty, and of retired or disabled pensioners.
RETIREMENT BONUS: Grant payable to a person who retires because of old age, disability or job disability and has completed a specified period of service. This grant is also paid to the survivors of persons who die having completed a specified period of service.
DEATH GRANT: Grant payable to the survivors of a pensioner or to any person nominated by the pensioner before his death.
MARRIAGE BONUS: Grant payable to a widow or a female orphan whose pension is discontinued because of marriage.
LUMP-SUM PAYMENT: Payment made to a person or to the survivors of a person who no longer works because of death, disability, old age, incorrect behavior, etc.and whose length of service does not fulfill the requirements for a pension.
REPAYMENT OF CONTRIBUTION: Repayment of the contributions collected in the fund to the person who leaves a job because of resignation, penalty, lay off, or other causes and whose period of service is between 5 - 10 years.
Birth and death grants, children's allowances and medical benefits payable to employees covered by the Government Employees Retirement system are regulated by the laws on salaries.
SOCIAL INSURANCE INSTITUTIONSocial insurance in Turkey started in 1946 with the work injury and occupational disease insurance and maternity insurance established by Law No.4772. This was fallowed by the establishment of old age insurance in 1950 and sickness insurance in 1951. Old age insurance underwent several alterations by law and was finally abolished in 1957 and replaced by disability, old age, and death insurances.
The Social Insurance Law No. 506, which is prensently in effect, was put into force on March 1,1965. Before this law social insurance covered employees in establishments with 10 or more persons who were employed and covered by Labor Law No. 3008; in 1952 press workers and in 1954 marine workers were included. Also after 1952, establishments with 4-9 persons employed in places a population of 50000 and more were covered by Social Insurance. With Law No. 506 the regurement for a minimum number of employed persons was abolished leading to a much wider scope than under previous laws. However, it was decided to extend the scope to establishments with less than 4 persons employed within municipal boundaries of cities and towns and to establishments with less than 8 persons employed in other places after the necessary health and other organizations were set up.
The most important aspect of the Social Insurance Law No. 506, which distinguishes it from previous social insurance laws, is the extension of its coverage. The law entitles all persons who are employed by a contract of service to benefit from social insurance whereas Social Insurance Laws No. 3008, 5953 and 6379 recognized this right only for the persons defined by these laws. On the other hand, Law No. 506 recognized the concept of self-insurance, that is, persons are automatically insured by entering into service. The following persons are excluded from the coverage of the Law:
Persons contributing to one of the pension funds established by law.
The Social insurance Law entitles contributors to the following benefits under special requirements:
WORK INJURY AND OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE INSURANCE: The following benefits are provided to insured persons who suffer a physical or mental disability as a result of work injury or occupational disease:
SICKNESS INSURANCE: Entitles the insured person who suffers an illness, apart from work injury or occupational disease, to the following benefits:
MATERNITY INSURANCE: Entitles the insured woman or the wife of an insured person to the following benefits in cases of maternity:
DISABILITY INSURANCE: entitles the insured person who loses the capacity to work to a disability pension.
OLD AGE INSURANCE: entitles the insured person to an old age pension provided they have paid contributions for a specified period and have reached a specified age. Persons whose length of service is less than the specified period receive a lump-sum payment upon retirement.
DEATH INSURANCE: entitles the survivors of an insured person to the following benefits:
With law 1479 published in the Official Gazette no. 13956 on September 14,1971, the "Social Security Organization for the Self, Employed" called General Directorate of Baš-Kur was established and commenced operations throughout the country on October 1,1972 with the Council of Ministers decree number 7/4532 dated June 12,1972.
The scheme covers the self-employed outside the coverage of the Social Insurance Law such as craftsmen, artisans and small businessmen, technical and professional people who are registered to a chamber or professional association and shareholders of companies other than co-operatives and joint stock companies.
Baš-Kur Law No.1479 was altered by Law No. 2229, 2423, 2654, 3165, 3235, 3253, 3774 and 3780.
The enforcement of the "Social Insurance Law Concerning the Self-employed in Agriculture" of October 20.1983 published in the Official Gazette no. 18197 has been given to Baš-Kur.
The social security services for agricultural workers which were initiated by Baš-Kur in several provinces in 1984 have been provided in all the provinces since July 1, 1993. The Law No. 2926 went into force on January 1, 1984 was attered by the laws No. 3350 and 3493.
Baš-Kur entitles the contributors to the following benefits:
DISABILITY INSURANCE: entitles an insured person who has lost at least two-thirds of his working capacity to a disability pension.
OLD AGE INSURANCE: entitles the contributors to the following benefits in old age:
Old age pension payable to an insured person who has completed specified period of service,
An insured person of pensionable age who leaves his job but not entitled to a pension will have the right to receive, a claim,a lump-sum payment corresponding to the total amount contributions paid by him.
DEATH INSURANCE: entitles the survivors of an insured person the following benefits:
Pension payable to the survivors of an insured person who dies having completed a specified period of service or a retired or disabled pensioner.
If any survivor is not entitled to a pension, a lump-sum payment will be distributed among the survivors.
In case of the death of an insured person or a pensioner, a lump-sum payment will be made to the person who undertakes the funeral expenses.
HEALTH INSURANCE: Those under actual insurance coverage and their wives or husbands, dependent children and parents; those receiving old age and disability pensions and their wives or husbands, dependent children and parents; and survivors receiving pensions are entitled to take advange of health insurance benefits.
Health insurance benefits cover expenditures upon medical examination, diagnosis, treatment, and hospitalization at health institutions.
Apart from the Social Insurance Organization, Baš-Kur and the Government Employees Retirement Fund are the two principal social security organizations. However there are other pension funds established by law for banks, insurance companies, chambers of commerce and industry, and commodity exchanges.
LABOR PLACEMENT OFFICEThe Labor Placement Office is a state economic organization attached to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. Its main function is to arrange and carry out activities to meet the domestic and foreign employment applications of workers and labor requests from establishments.
SOCIAL SERVICES AND CHILD PROTECTION SOCIETYThe General Directorate of Social Services and Child Protection Society was established with Law no. 2828 on May 24, 1983 attached to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. It was later attached to the Prime Ministry on April 2, 1989 by Decree no. 356 Having the force of Law.
The activities carried out in the fields of welfare and social services determined by law are as follows; to render services for needy children in orphanages and kindergartens services for old people at rest homes; care for children at nurseries and day care houses; and services for handicapped and paralyzed persons at rehabilitation centers.
OTHER WELFARE SOCIETIESThere are also charitable organizations rendering welfare services alongside the general social security system. The major societies working in this field are the Red Crescent and the Social Welfare Society.
THE RED CRESCENT is the agency which covers the widest range of welfare services in Turkey. The Red Crescent, founded in 1868, plays a very important function in times of natural disaster. Its activities include providing artificial limbs; aid to the poor, needy, immigrants and poor students; sponsoring youth camps; establishing and maintaining blood centers, health institutions, first aid stations, etc.
THE SOCIAL WELFARE SOCIETY works in various fields of welfare services. It supports needy young girls by engaging them in its private workshops and also gives assistance to needy families in cash and kind.