Tourism SGK support excludes 14,000 establishments, cuts costs from 12 billion to 5.4 billion lire

The government's social security premium support law, designed to curb layoffs in the tourism sector, provides support of up to 3,500 lire per employee monthly. However, when implementation procedures were determined, it became clear that approximately 14,000 Simply Lodging Certificate businesses, which make up 64 percent of Turkey's 21,420 accommodation establishments, were excluded from the program's scope.

This distinction was made despite both certificates being issued by the Ministry of Tourism with no practical difference in application between them. According to sector representatives, the decision in question is a deliberate last-minute choice; thereby reducing total costs from 12 billion lire to 5.4 billion lire. Only 7,700 Tourism Enterprise Certificate holders can benefit from the support. The law, which covers the May-December 2026 period, provides no benefit whatsoever to the 14,000 excluded establishments.