Turkish Parliament to vote on pension hike, cybersecurity, and sector support

The Turkish Parliament is poised to approve a significant legislative package before its summer recess, addressing critical issues ranging from minimum pensions to cybersecurity and sector-specific support.

A central element of the bill is the increase of the minimum retirement pension from 20,000 TL to 23,552 TL, a move that will benefit approximately 5.1 million pensioners. Concurrently, the legislation introduces new cybersecurity measures. It proposes transferring strategic authorities, previously held by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), such as cyber defense and internet infrastructure oversight, to a newly established Cyber Security Directorate.

Under the new cybersecurity framework, the Cyber Security Directorate will have the authority to issue immediate precautionary measures in urgent situations, requiring implementation by internet service providers and data centers within two hours. These decisions will be subject to judicial review within 24 hours. Non-compliant platforms and businesses face administrative fines ranging from 20,000 TL to 100,000 TL per violation.

Further amendments include tightening the hierarchical structure within public administration by increasing the required seniority for appointment to department head positions from five to ten years. The bill also extends support for local governments' street lighting expenses until December 2030 but increases the deduction rates from municipal budgets to balance public finances. Additionally, it provides a premium support of 116.67 TL per day for accommodation facilities in the tourism sector facing reduced occupancy due to regional instability, and introduces new funding mechanisms for Turkish cinema.