Social Security Agreement Signed Between Türkiye and Slovenia

Minister of Labour and Social Security Prof. Dr. Vedat Işıkhan went to Slovenia to hold various contacts and to sign the Social Security Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Türkiye and the Government of the Republic of Slovenia.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Işıkhan expressed his satisfaction with signing of this important agreement, made available in a short time thanks to the mutually constructive approach of the technical delegations of the two countries, and stated “The projects undertaken by Turkish firms in Slovenia recently and the increasing economic interaction have made the necessity of this agreement even more evident. The conclusion of the process is of great importance not only in terms of commercial cooperation but also in terms of protecting the rights and interests of the citizens of both countries”.

Stating that the signed agreement would contribute to the protection and improvement of existing rights of citizens and insured persons of both countries and would also enable for acquisition of new rights, Işıkhan remarked, “Social security agreements, which are of historical significance in terms of bilateral relations and are expected to remain in effect for decades, are important tools promoting mutual investment and cooperation, and also facilitate the mobility of people. I believe that this step will further strengthen our relations based on friendship and alliance, and reinforce the closeness between our peoples”.

Minister Işıkhan noted that the signed agreement represents a new stage in relations between the ministries of the two countries, and continued as follows:

“There are many spheres where we can develop cooperation in matters within our areas of mandates. One of these is social security, and the other is public employment services. I would especially like to express my satisfaction with the cooperation launched between our public employment agency, İŞKUR, and the Slovenian Employment Service Agency, ESS. I wish success to ESS, set to assume the presidency of the World Association of Public Employment Services (WAPES) for the 2025-2028 period, a position successfully held by İŞKUR between 2015-2018. I would like to state that İŞKUR, which has been elected as Vice President for the same period, is always ready to support ESS with its experience”.

Stressing that Türkiye has always been open to constructive cooperation and will continue to work to further develop relations, Minister Işıkhan stated, “Under the leadership of our esteemed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye pursues its efforts to develop humane and peaceful solutions to regional and global issues. We strive to be the voice of the victims and the oppressed, indiscriminately in order to end conflicts”.

Following the speech, Minister of Labour and Social Security Prof. Dr. Vedat Işıkhan and Slovenian Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Luka Mesec signed the Social Security Agreement on the behalf of their countries.