If you are planning to work in Turkey, it will be very useful to study the Turkish labor legislation. The general terms of employment are regulated by the Constitution, the Labor Law and other acts. Some special terms can be regulated by the employment contract.
Employment contracts do not exempt from any taxes and fees. Accepted by the law form is not mandatory for the contracts except those contracts, which are signed for a definite period.
The discrimination of the employees based on race, gender, language, religion, political views, etc. is forbidden by law. An employee has a right to file a complaint with the court to obtain compensation if he or she was discriminated.
Content:
- Working hours in Turkey
- The minimum wage and taxes
- Annual vacations
- Maternity and parental leave
- Termination of an employment contract
- Working as a foreigner: permits and limits
- The key figures in one table
- Popular questions
WORKING HOURS IN TURKEY
The Turkish Labor Law stipulates 45-hour working week. Under this law, the working hours should be split equally among working days. However, the employer can arrange the working hours within the legal limits. But they may not exceed 11 hours per day. The working hours which exceed 45 hours per week are considered to be “overtime” and should be extra paid — at a rate 50% above the normal hourly wage. The employer can give 1.5 hours of free time for one overtime hour instead of overtime payment. The total number of the overtime hours may not exceed 270 hours a year.
In practice the office day starts at 08:30 or 09:00 and ends around 18:00, with a lunch break of about an hour. Government offices work from 08:30 to 17:00. Some companies, especially in manufacturing and retail, also work on Saturday, spreading the 45 hours across six days.
A wage or salary should be paid to the bank account of the employee in Turkish Lira. It is also can be denominated in foreign currency. In this case, the wage or salary in TRY is calculated on the basis of the relevant foreign currency rate of the payment date. If the salary payment is delayed for 20 days, an employee has a right not to go to work. The exception can be only a force-majeure situation.
An employer can also offer an employee a bonus system. But it is not obligatory. Usually the bonus system includes four bonus payments per year equal to a month salary. Other options of the bonus system are specified in the employment contract.
The minimum wage and taxes
The minimum wage is revised every year and applies equally to Turkish citizens and foreign employees. For 2026 it is set at 33,030 TL before deductions and 28,075.50 TL take-home, the difference being social security and unemployment insurance contributions.
Income tax is withheld on a progressive scale from 15 to 40%, along with social security contributions. The employer pays its own share on top of the salary, so the full cost of an employee to a company exceeds 40,000 TL a month even at the minimum rate.
ANNUAL VACATIONS
If an employee has worked for at least one year including the probation period, he or she has the right to have a paid annual vacation for the periods indicated below:
| Years of work | Minimum paid vacation |
|---|---|
| 1 – 5 years | 14 working days |
| 5 – 15 years | 20 working days |
| 15 years and more | 26 working days |
These are the minimum vacation periods set by the law and they can be increased on the basis of an employment contract. For employees under 18 and over 50 the minimum is 20 days regardless of seniority. Public holidays and weekends do not count towards the leave, and unused days are paid out on termination.
Maternity and parental leave
According to the Labor Law, a paid maternity leave is 16 weeks: eight before the birth and eight after it. With a multiple pregnancy another two weeks are added to the pre-natal part. Six months of the unpaid maternity leave can be added to the paid one.
For a year after the birth the mother is also entitled to an hour and a half a day for feeding, and the father receives five paid days when the child is born.
There is also a state support program for families with children: a one-off payment for the first child and monthly payments for the second and subsequent ones until the child turns five.
TERMINATION OF AN EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT
Termination of an employment contract can be of two types: with notice and without it. Depending on the time that an employee has worked in the company, one of the parties willing to terminate a contract (an employer or an employee) has to inform the second party in advance (from two to eight weeks before the termination).
The notice periods follow seniority: up to 6 months of service means 2 weeks, 6 to 18 months means 4 weeks, 18 months to 3 years means 6 weeks, and over 3 years means 8 weeks. A party that ignores the procedure pays compensation for the unworked period.
An employee with at least a year of service who is dismissed through no fault of their own receives severance pay, the kıdem tazminatı. It equals one month’s salary for each full year worked, though the calculation base is capped: in the second half of 2026 the ceiling is 73,729.87 TL.
The probation period may not exceed two months by law, and up to four under a collective agreement. During it the contract can be terminated without notice and without severance pay.
Working as a foreigner: permits and limits
A foreigner cannot simply sign a contract and start work: a permit is required, and the employer requests it through the relevant ministry. No separate residence permit is issued — the work permit itself gives the right to live in the country legally.
- the first document is valid for a year at most; on renewal with the same employer it is issued for two years, and after that for three;
- after eight years of legal residence an open-ended document becomes available;
- a quota applies: for every foreign employee the company must employ five Turkish citizens, with exceptions for certain categories;
- some professions are closed to foreigners: the list runs to forty entries, from notaries and lawyers to pharmacists, vets and work at sea;
- a foreigner’s salary cannot fall below the minimum wage, and higher thresholds apply to certain positions.
How residence permits work on other grounds is covered in our article on the ikamet in Turkey, and the wider picture of the labor market and salaries is in the piece on the pros and cons of living in Turkey.
The key figures in one table
| Parameter | Value in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Working week | 45 hours, no more than 11 hours a day |
| Overtime | 50% premium, no more than 270 hours a year |
| Minimum wage | 28,075.50 TL net, 33,030 TL gross |
| Income tax | From 15 to 40% on a progressive scale |
| Annual leave | 14, 20 or 26 days depending on seniority |
| Maternity leave | 16 weeks paid plus up to 6 months unpaid |
| Probation period | Up to 2 months, up to 4 under a collective agreement |
| Notice of termination | From 2 to 8 weeks depending on seniority |
| Severance pay ceiling | 73,729.87 TL in the second half of the year |
Popular questions
How long is the working week in Turkey?
45 hours, spread across the working days but never more than 11 hours in a day. Anything beyond that counts as overtime and carries a 50% premium.
When does the working day start?
In offices usually at 08:30 or 09:00, ending around 18:00 with an hour for lunch. Government offices work from 08:30 to 17:00.
What is the minimum wage in Turkey?
For 2026 it is 33,030 TL before deductions and 28,075.50 TL take-home. Foreign employees receive no less than that.
How long is maternity leave?
16 weeks paid — eight before the birth and eight after — plus up to six months unpaid and an hour and a half a day for feeding during the first year.
Does a foreigner need a separate residence permit?
No. The work permit requested by the employer is itself a ground for living in the country legally.