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Guide · Leave management in Turkey

Annual leave in Turkey: an employer's year-end guide

Annual leave in Turkey follows rules that often surprise employers used to other systems. There is no use-it-or-lose-it, no pro-rata accrual in the first year, and unused days cannot be bought out while employment continues. This guide covers the statutory entitlements under Labour Law No. 4857 and what to check before year end.

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Labour Law, Article 53

Statutory minimum leave by length of service

These are legal minimums. Employment contracts and collective agreements can increase them but not reduce them.

14 days1 to 5 years of service (5 included)
20 daysMore than 5, less than 15 years
26 days15 years or more
20 days min.Employees aged 18 or under, or 50 or over

Five rules that differ from many other countries

1. Entitlement starts after one full year

An employee becomes entitled to paid annual leave after completing at least one year of service, including any probation period. Leave does not accrue month by month in the first year. Seasonal and campaign work that by nature lasts less than a year is excluded.

2. Unused leave does not expire

There is no statutory cut-off at year end. Unused days carry forward and the balance keeps growing until the employee takes the leave or the employment ends.

3. No payout while employment continues

Employees cannot waive their right to annual leave. Unused leave is paid out only when the employment contract ends, at the employee's pay rate on the termination date. Buying back days to clear balances during employment is not a valid substitute for leave.

4. Public holidays extend the leave

Weekly rest days, national holidays and public holidays that fall within a leave period are not counted as leave days.

5. Splitting needs agreement

The employer cannot split leave on its own. If both sides agree, leave can be taken in parts, but one part must be at least 10 days.

TopicRule
Travel leaveEmployees spending their leave elsewhere can request up to 4 days of unpaid travel leave in total, with supporting evidence.
Leave payPay for the leave period is paid before the leave starts, in advance or as an advance payment.
Underground workStatutory leave is increased by 4 days for employees in underground work.
RecordsThe employer must keep an annual leave record for every employee.
Year-end exposure

Why unused leave becomes a liability

Without active tracking, carried-over balances turn into cost and compliance risk.

Growing payout cost

Every unused day is paid at the final salary on exit. In a high-inflation environment, days earned years ago are paid at today's rate.

Burden of proof

In a dispute, the employer must prove that leave was taken. Missing signed records can put days already taken back in question.

Global policy gaps

Group policies with expiry dates or first-year accrual need a Turkey-specific rule. Local law prevails where the group policy gives less.

Service thresholds

Entitlement rises at 5 and 15 years of service. If anniversaries are not tracked, employees are given less leave than the law requires.

December crunch

When large balances are requested at once, shift and operations planning come under pressure.

Day-count errors

Deducting public holidays that fall within leave understates the employee's real balance.

Year-end checklist for your Turkey workforce

  • Pull current leave balances and carried-over days for every employee in Turkey.
  • Update entitlements for employees passing their 5th or 15th service anniversary.
  • Check the 20-day minimum for employees aged 18 or under and 50 or over.
  • Ask managers to agree leave plans with employees who hold large balances.
  • Make sure signed records exist for all leave taken.
  • Share the payout value of unused leave with finance for accruals and budgeting.
  • Review group leave policies for rules that conflict with Turkish law.

Is annual leave in Turkey about to change?

A bill proposing to raise statutory leave to 20, 25 and 30 days was submitted to the Turkish parliament in January 2025. As of October 2026 it is still awaiting committee review and has not become law. The current minimums remain 14, 20 and 26 days. If the law changes, rely on the text published in the Official Gazette.

With Teamso

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Entitlements, requests, approvals and payroll in one flow.

Leave management

Service-based entitlements, requests, approvals and balance tracking. Leave package

Time and attendance

Approved leave flows into attendance automatically. Attendance package

Reporting

Leave balances and carry-over by department. Reporting package

Frequently asked questions

How many days of annual leave do employees get in Turkey?
Under Labour Law No. 4857, employees with 1 to 5 years of service (5 included) get at least 14 days, those with more than 5 and less than 15 years get 20 days, and those with 15 years or more get 26 days. Employees aged 18 or under and 50 or over get at least 20 days.
Does unused annual leave expire in Turkey?
No. Unused leave carries forward. When the employment contract ends, unused days are paid at the employee's pay rate on the termination date.
Do new employees accrue leave during their first year?
No. The statutory right arises after one full year of service, including probation. Employers may offer more generous terms by contract.
Can an employer pay employees instead of giving leave?
Employees cannot waive annual leave, and the law ties payment for unused leave to the end of the employment contract. Paying out balances during employment does not replace the obligation to grant leave.

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