The Evolving Role of the State in the 15th Year of Türkiye Social Security System Reform

In the 15th year of social security reform in Turkey, this study investigates the role of the state in social security. The study’s goal is to critically evaluate the state’s participation in social security services in Turkey and to discuss Turkey’s future reform demand in the field of social security, taking into account relevant legal regulations, policy documents, and the distribution of social expenditures. Using a qualitative research approach, the study examines the distribution and repercussions of social protection expenditures by risk group. The data used in the study came from government reports and statistics. The findings suggest that the Turkish social security system’s inclusiveness has risen in the post-reform period, although the system still faces substantial issues. On the other hand, social security spending is always rising, and irregularities in the asset-liability ratio endanger its financial sustainability. Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019 and the victims of delayed pension age regulation in 2023 exacerbated the bad scenario. As a result, new reform expectations evolved in the Turkish social security system before the second decade of reform was completed.