Annual Leave Rights and Durations in Turkey ( 2026)

Summary: The Right to Rest The right to rest is a Constitutional Right in Turkey. Neither the employer generally withhold it, nor can the worker waive it in e...

The Right to Rest

The right to rest is a Constitutional Right in Turkey. Neither the employer generally withhold it, nor can the worker waive it in exchange for money while continuing to work.

Rule: Every worker who has completed at least 1 full year of service (including the trial period) at the same workplace is entitled to annual paid leave.

Annual Leave Durations (Seniority Table)

The minimum leave periods are determined by the worker’s tenure (seniority) at that specific workplace:

Seniority (Years)	Minimum Leave Days
1 to 5 Years (incl. 5th year)	14 Days
5 to 14 Years	20 Days
15 Years and more	26 Days

Note: These are minimums. Employment contracts or collective agreements can increase these durations, but cannot decrease them.

Special Protections

Age-Based Protection

To protect vulnerable groups, the law sets a higher floor for young and senior workers:

Workers age 18 and under: Minimum 20 days
Workers age 50 and over: Minimum 20 days (Even if they have only 1 year of seniority).

Underground Workers

For workers employed in underground mining and similar jobs:

4 days are added to the standard periods above.
Example: A miner with 2 years seniority gets 14 + 4 = 18 days.

Rules for Using Leave

Scheduling

The employer ultimately determines when the leave happens, considering business needs and the worker’s request.
Establishments with leave committees schedule based on procedures.

Dividing Leave

Leave should ideally be used in a single block.
However, by mutual agreement, it can be divided.
Mandatory Rule: At least one part must be a continuous block of 10 days. The remainder can be used in smaller chunks (e.g., 10 + 2 + 2 days).

Travel Leave (Yol İzni)

If the worker documents that they will spend their holiday in a different city, they can request up to 4 days of unpaid travel leave. The employer must grant this.

Working During Leave

The purpose is rest. Therefore, the worker cannot work elsewhere during annual leave.
If caught working for another employer, the primary employer can terminate the contract with just cause.

Public Holidays and Sick Days

Do not count:

National holidays (e.g., Eid, Republic Day)
Weekly rest days (Sundays)
Sick leave (Medical reports)

…that fall within the annual leave period are not deducted from the leave balance. The leave is extended by those days.

Legal Assistance: We advise on employment contracts and leave policies. Contact us for labor law compliance.

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