Turkish employment law establishes a comprehensive legal framework governing employee rights and employer obligations. For international companies hiring or managing employees in Turkey, understanding these requirements is essential to maintaining compliance and minimizing employment-related risks.
The primary legislation is Labor Law No. 4857, supported by the Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Law No. 5510, Occupational Health and Safety Law No. 6331, and other applicable regulations.
This guide outlines the key provisions of Turkish employment law, including employment contracts, termination, working hours, statutory benefits, social security obligations, and important legislative updates for 2026.
What employers must know about Turkish employment law in 2026
1. Contractual foundations
TTurkish employment law generally recognizes indefinite-term employment contracts as the standard arrangement for ongoing employment relationships.
Fixed-term contracts are permitted when supported by objective circumstances, such as project-based work, seasonal requirements, or temporary employee replacement. Repeated renewals without a substantial justification may result in the employment relationship being treated as indefinite-term.
Employment contracts with a duration of one year or longer must be in writing. For employment relationships not documented by a written contract, employers must generally provide written information about essential employment conditions within two months, subject to statutory exceptions.
Probation periods may last up to two months, or four months where extended through a collective bargaining agreement. During probation, either party may terminate the contract without notice or notice compensation. Employees remain entitled to wages and other accrued statutory rights.
Employers should ensure that employment documentation clearly defines working conditions, compensation, responsibilities, and applicable benefits.
2. Termination: notice, cause, and consequences
Termination of employment in Turkey is subject to statutory notice periods, procedural requirements, and employee protection rules.
For indefinite-term employment contracts, minimum notice periods depend on the employee’s length of service:
| Length of service | Notice period |
| Less than 6 months | 2 weeks |
| 6–18 months | 4 weeks |
| 18 months–3 years | 6 weeks |
| More than 3 years | 8 weeks |
The statutory thresholds are applied according to the employee’s exact completed service. Payment in lieu of notice is permitted, and employees working during their notice period are generally entitled to at least two hours of paid job-search leave per day.
Job security and valid termination
Employers with at least 30 employees generally must provide a valid reason when dismissing eligible employees with at least six months of service under indefinite-term contracts. Other statutory eligibility conditions and exceptions apply.
Valid reasons may relate to employee performance, conduct, or operational requirements. Where required, dismissals must be documented in writing and supported by appropriate evidence.
Employees covered by job-security provisions may challenge invalid dismissals through the prescribed mediation and judicial procedures.
If a dismissal is found invalid, the employer may face reinstatement obligations, compensation equivalent to four to eight months’ wages if the employee is not reinstated, and up to four months’ wages and other rights for the period not worked.
Severance pay
Employees with at least one year of service may qualify for severance pay when their employment ends under legally recognized circumstances.
Severance is generally calculated as 30 days of eligible gross remuneration for each completed year of service, subject to the statutory ceiling.
As of July 1–December 31, 2026, the severance pay ceiling is TRY 73,729.87 per year of service.
Immediate termination for just cause may be permitted in circumstances defined by law, including certain serious misconduct or breaches of employment obligations. However, not every just-cause termination eliminates severance entitlement; the applicable grounds must be assessed individually.
Employees may also terminate employment for legally recognized just causes, including certain unpaid wage situations, while retaining applicable statutory entitlements.
3. Working hours and compensation
The standard maximum working week in Turkey is 45 hours, generally distributed across five or six working days.
Work exceeding 45 hours per week is generally considered overtime and must be compensated at 150% of the normal hourly rate. Subject to statutory conditions, employees may choose compensatory time off equivalent to 1.5 hours for each overtime hour.
Annual overtime is generally limited to 270 hours per employee.
Employers must also comply with applicable daily working limits, rest periods, and overtime consent requirements.
Minimum wage in 2026
The national monthly minimum wage, effective January 1 through December 31, 2026, is:
- Gross minimum wage: TRY 33,030.00
- Net minimum wage: TRY 28,075.50
Employers must ensure that wages comply with statutory minimums and account for mandatory social security contributions and other payroll obligations.
Certain sectors, including underground mining, may be subject to additional wage protections.
4. Leave and benefits
Turkish employment law provides statutory paid and unpaid leave entitlements, including annual leave, public holidays, sick leave, maternity and paternity leave.
Annual leave
Employees become entitled to paid annual leave after completing at least one year of service, including probation.
- 1–5 years of service (inclusive): 14 working days.
- More than 5 and less than 15 years: 20 working days.
- 15 years or more: 26 working days.
Employees aged 18 or younger and employees aged 50 or older are entitled to at least 20 working days of annual leave.
Public holidays
Turkey observes national and religious public holidays totaling approximately 15.5 days annually. Employees required to work on statutory public holidays are generally entitled to additional compensation.
Sick leave
Employees with medically certified illness may qualify for temporary incapacity benefits through the Social Security Institution (SGK). For ordinary sickness, payments generally begin on the third day of certified leave, subject to eligibility requirements.
Maternity leave
Following legislative amendments effective May 1, 2026, statutory maternity leave generally increased from 16 to 24 weeks, consisting of eight weeks before childbirth and 16 weeks after childbirth.
Additional provisions apply to multiple pregnancies, medically approved working arrangements, and the transfer of eligible prenatal leave to the postnatal period.
Paternity leave
Paid paternity leave increased from five to 10 days under the 2026 amendments.
Special leave
Employees are generally entitled to three days of paid leave for marriage, adoption, or the death of specified family members.
Eligible employees may also receive up to 10 days of paid leave annually for the treatment of a child with a qualifying disability or chronic illness, subject to statutory conditions.
Additional unpaid leave and flexible working rights may apply following childbirth or adoption.
5. Social security obligations
Employers must register eligible employees with the Social Security Institution (SGK) and comply with mandatory contribution, reporting, and payment requirements.
For standard employment arrangements, employee contributions generally include:
- Social security contributions: 14% of applicable earnings.
- Unemployment insurance: 1% of applicable earnings.
Employer contributions cover pension, health, occupational accident and disease, maternity, and unemployment insurance branches.
The applicable employer contribution burden varies according to statutory rates, employment categories, and available contribution incentives.
Employers must calculate and remit contributions accurately and submit required payroll declarations within statutory deadlines.
Failure to register employees or fulfill social security obligations may result in administrative penalties, late-payment charges, and other legal consequences.rance. Failure to enroll or contribute draws stiff penalties.
6. Workplace safety and equal treatment
Occupational Health and Safety Law No. 6331 requires employers to maintain safe and healthy working conditions.
Obligations may include workplace risk assessments, occupational safety training, appropriate protective equipment, emergency planning, and access to occupational health and safety services.
These requirements also apply to office-based and lower-risk workplaces, although the specific obligations may vary according to workplace classification.
Turkish employment law prohibits unlawful discrimination based on protected characteristics, including gender, religion, disability, and other legally recognized grounds.
Employers must also comply with equal treatment and equal pay requirements, including applicable protections for part-time and fixed-term employees.
Workplace psychological harassment, commonly referred to as mobbing, may create legal liability where established.
Employers should maintain appropriate internal policies, complaint procedures, and documentation to address workplace misconduct and discrimination risks.
Additional employment law considerations for employers in Turkey
1. Mandatory mediation before lawsuits
Mandatory mediation is a procedural requirement for specified employment disputes in Turkey.
It generally applies to many employee and employer receivable and compensation claims, as well as reinstatement disputes.
However, mandatory mediation does not apply to every employment-related claim. Statutory exceptions and different procedural requirements may apply.
Employers should maintain complete employment records and respond to mediation proceedings within applicable deadlines.
2. Documentation in termination
Accurate documentation is essential when terminating employment in Turkey.
Where statutory job-security provisions apply, employers must generally communicate termination in writing and clearly state the reasons.
For dismissals based on employee conduct or performance, employers must comply with applicable requirements concerning the employee’s opportunity to provide a defense, subject to statutory exceptions.
Termination notices should be delivered through a legally appropriate and provable method.
Employers should also document outstanding wages, accrued leave, notice compensation, severance payments, and other termination-related obligations.
3. Protected grounds for dismissal
Turkish employment law provides additional protection against dismissals based on prohibited or discriminatory grounds.
These include pregnancy, maternity-related circumstances, union membership or activity, and other protected characteristics or activities.
Unlawful dismissals may result in reinstatement claims, compensation, or other legal remedies depending on the circumstances.
Employers should assess the legal basis and procedural requirements before terminating employees in protected situations.
4. Union-related protections
Employees are protected against unlawful discrimination arising from trade union membership or lawful union activities.
Dismissals motivated by union-related reasons may trigger specific compensation obligations under applicable legislation.
Union-related dismissal claims may also involve reinstatement rights and additional legal consequences.
Employers should ensure that employment decisions are based on legitimate, documented grounds unrelated to protected union activity.
5. Fixed-term contract expiry and severance
A genuine fixed-term employment contract generally expires automatically at the end of its agreed term without the ordinary notice requirements applicable to indefinite-term contracts.
Natural expiry does not ordinarily create severance entitlement by itself. However, entitlement may depend on the contract’s legal characterization and the specific circumstances.
Premature termination without legally sufficient grounds may expose the terminating party to compensation claims.
Repeated renewals without an objective justification may also cause the employment relationship to be treated as indefinite-term.
6. Mass layoffs (collective dismissals)
Collective dismissals are subject to additional procedural requirements under Article 29 of Labor Law No. 4857.
Depending on workforce size and the number of affected employees, employers may be required to notify the relevant public authorities and, where applicable, workplace union representatives.
Collective dismissal procedures also include statutory notification periods and consultation obligations.
Failure to follow applicable procedures may result in administrative penalties and other legal risks.
Employers planning workforce reductions should assess collective dismissal thresholds and obligations before implementation.
7. Remote work regulations
Remote and hybrid working arrangements are regulated under Turkish employment legislation and the Remote Work Regulation.
Remote work agreements must be documented in writing and should address essential employment conditions, including working arrangements, equipment, communication, and applicable expense responsibilities.
Remote employees retain statutory employment rights, including applicable working time, overtime, leave, and occupational health and safety protections.
Employers must also comply with relevant employee data protection requirements under Law No. 6698 on the Protection of Personal Data (KVKK), including lawful processing, transparency, and appropriate security measures.
Final note
Turkish employment law provides substantial employee protections and establishes detailed obligations for employers throughout the employment relationship.
For international businesses, maintaining compliance requires more than preparing employment contracts. Employers must also manage payroll, social security contributions, statutory benefits, employee documentation, and termination procedures in accordance with current legislation.
The 2026 changes to maternity and paternity leave, together with updated minimum wage and severance pay thresholds, reinforce the importance of regularly reviewing employment policies and payroll practices.
A well-documented and legally compliant employment approach helps reduce operational risks and supports sustainable workforce growth in Turkey.
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