Building resilient social protection: Lessons from Türkiye's earthquake response

Abstract

This article assesses the functioning and disaster response capacity of the Turkish social security system in the aftermath of the Kahramanmaraş-centred earthquake that struck southeastern Türkiye on 6 February 2023, affecting 11 provinces. Türkiye's social security infrastructure, which was restructured after the 1999 Marmara earthquake, has developed an important response capability with multidimensional instruments such as short-time working allowance, unemployment insurance, survivors’ and disability pensions, and access to health services and social assistance. Moreover, social security expenditures have increased, procedures for social security beneficiaries and employers have been simplified and conditions for access to social security benefits have been eased. Administrative and micro datasets from institutions such as the Social Security Institution (Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu – SGK), the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR) and TurkStat reveal the effectiveness and inclusiveness of the social protection system at the regional and sectoral level. The findings show that institutional digital infrastructure enables a more rapid response, but that some population segments are excluded from the system due to informal employment. In the light of past experiences, the article provides recommendations on how a disaster-resilient social security system can be built.