Employment & Labour Law in Antalya, Turkey
Attorney Cennet Kesici Çetinbaş provides legal consultation, representation and case-specific assistance for employees, foreign workers, employers and international businesses dealing with employment and labour-law matters in Antalya.
Employment disputes may involve wages, working time, termination, severance and notice pay, reinstatement, annual leave, workplace conduct, mediation, litigation and employment documentation. For foreign nationals, work-permit and immigration issues may also need to be considered separately.
For other practice areas, see Legal Services in Antalya . You can also learn more about Attorney Cennet Kesici Çetinbaş .
Employment disputes can be subject to strict procedural deadlines. The applicable route depends on the claim. Mandatory mediation applies to many employee and employer receivable and compensation claims and to reinstatement claims, but statutory exceptions also exist.
About Attorney Cennet Kesici Çetinbaş
Attorney Cennet Kesici Çetinbaş graduated from Akdeniz University Faculty of Law in 2014 and has been practising law since 2015. She is registered with the Antalya Bar Association under registration number 4696 and provides legal services from her practice in Antalya.
Learn more on the About Attorney Cennet Kesici Çetinbaş page.
Employment and Labour Law Services in Antalya
Termination & Severance
Assessment of termination, severance pay, notice pay, termination documentation and related employee claims.
Reinstatement Claims
Assessment of job-security conditions, termination validity, mandatory mediation and reinstatement proceedings.
Wages & Overtime
Claims concerning unpaid wages, overtime, public-holiday work, annual leave and other employment receivables.
Employment Contracts
Review and preparation of employment contracts, workplace policies and related employment documentation.
Foreign Employees
Employment-law assessment for foreign workers where employment rights and work-permit requirements may interact.
Mediation & Litigation
Representation in mandatory mediation where applicable and employment litigation before the competent courts.
Turkish Employment Law: Main Legal Framework
Employment relationships in Turkey may be governed by several different statutes depending on the nature of the work and dispute. Labour Law No. 4857 contains many of the principal rules concerning employment contracts, working time, termination, job security, annual leave and overtime.
Important distinction: Severance pay (kıdem tazminatı) is not principally regulated by Labour Law No. 4857. The continuing statutory basis for severance pay is Article 14 of former Labour Law No. 1475.
Depending on the dispute, the Turkish Code of Obligations, Labour Courts Law No. 7036, Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Law, Occupational Health and Safety legislation and International Labour Force Law No. 6735 may also be relevant.
Official legislation: Labour Law No. 4857 and Labour Law No. 1475 .
Employment Law for Foreign Employees in Antalya
A foreign employee may have employment-law rights arising from work performed in Turkey. Foreign nationality does not by itself eliminate statutory employment protections.
Depending on the circumstances, a foreign employee may face issues involving:
- Unpaid salary
- Overtime
- Severance and notice pay
- Annual leave
- Termination
- Reinstatement
- Workplace conduct
- Discrimination
- Social-security records
- Work permits
Employment-law rights and work-permit status are not identical legal questions. Where necessary, both should be analysed separately.
For related immigration matters, see Immigration & Foreigners Law in Antalya .
Foreign Employees and Work Permits
Foreign nationals generally require a valid work permit or an applicable statutory exemption to work in Turkey, unless another specific legal rule applies.
Work-permit applications are evaluated according to current Ministry criteria concerning employment, financial capacity, remuneration and sector-, profession- or person-specific rules.
The “five Turkish employees” criterion is not universal. The Ministry's general assessment framework uses a five-Turkish-citizen employment criterion in qualifying workplaces, but numerous exemptions and modified criteria apply to particular employers, sectors and foreign nationals. Current criteria should therefore be checked at the date of application.
Current official criteria: Ministry of Labour and Social Security — Work Permit Evaluation Criteria .
Employment Contracts in Turkey
The content and form requirements of an employment contract depend on the nature and duration of the employment relationship. Depending on the position, employment documentation may address:
- Job title and duties
- Workplace
- Salary and benefits
- Working time
- Overtime
- Annual leave
- Remote or hybrid work
- Confidentiality
- Data-protection obligations
- Termination provisions
- Other employment conditions
English/Turkish documentation may improve communication for an international employee, but translation alone does not make contractual provisions legally valid. Mandatory Turkish-law rules must still be considered where applicable.
Severance Pay in Turkey
Severance pay may become payable where the employee has at least one year of qualifying service with the employer and the employment relationship ends under one of the circumstances recognised by law.
A normal resignation does not automatically create a severance entitlement. Conversely, certain employee-initiated terminations, retirement-related situations and other statutory circumstances can lead to severance entitlement.
In qualifying cases, calculation generally takes into account:
- Qualifying length of service
- Final gross wage
- Regular benefits capable of monetary valuation
- Applicable statutory severance ceiling
- The legal reason for termination
Legal basis: Article 14 of Labour Law No. 1475 remains the principal statutory provision governing severance pay.
Notice Periods and Notice Pay
Article 17 of Labour Law No. 4857 provides general statutory notice periods for indefinite-term employment contracts where notice is required:
- Less than 6 months of service: 2 weeks
- 6 months to 1.5 years: 4 weeks
- 1.5 years to 3 years: 6 weeks
- More than 3 years: 8 weeks
Where a party terminates without observing the applicable notice period in circumstances where notice is legally required, notice compensation may become relevant.
Unpaid Wages and Employment Receivables
Employment disputes may concern unpaid wages, overtime, annual-leave pay, public-holiday work, bonuses and other contractual or statutory receivables.
Relevant evidence may include:
- Employment contracts
- Payroll records
- Bank statements
- Work schedules
- Entry and exit records
- Electronic correspondence
- Messages
- Workplace records
- Witness evidence
Working Time and Overtime
Under the general framework of Labour Law No. 4857, ordinary weekly working time is generally up to 45 hours.
Work exceeding the statutory weekly threshold may constitute overtime where the legal conditions are met. The general annual overtime limit is 270 hours.
The existence and calculation of an overtime claim depend on the employment arrangement, actual hours worked, payroll records and available evidence.
Reinstatement Claims After Termination
Employees within the statutory job-security framework may challenge a termination alleged to be invalid.
The general conditions include, among other requirements:
- An indefinite-term employment contract
- At least six months of qualifying seniority
- A workplace falling within the statutory 30-worker threshold
- The employee not falling within the statutory employer-representative exclusion
Strict deadline: An employee seeking reinstatement must generally apply to mandatory mediation within one month from notification of termination. If mediation ends without agreement, the reinstatement lawsuit must generally be filed within two weeks from the final mediation report.
Mandatory Mediation in Employment Disputes
Under Labour Courts Law No. 7036, mandatory pre-litigation mediation applies to many disputes involving employee or employer receivables and compensation arising from employment relationships, as well as reinstatement claims.
Important exception: Claims for pecuniary and non-pecuniary compensation arising from occupational accidents or occupational diseases, together with the related declaratory, objection and recourse actions, are excluded from this mandatory-mediation rule.
A mediation agreement can have significant legal consequences. The claims covered, payment terms and scope of settlement should therefore be understood before an agreement is signed.
Legal basis: Labour Courts Law No. 7036, Article 3.
Occupational Accidents and Employment Law
Occupational-accident matters can involve employment law, occupational health and safety, social-security law and compensation claims.
These claims should not automatically be treated in the same procedural manner as ordinary unpaid-wage or severance disputes. In particular, the statutory mediation exception described above must be considered.
Workplace Harassment, Mobbing and Equal Treatment
Workplace disputes may involve psychological harassment, discriminatory treatment or breaches of the employer's duty to protect the employee's personality and working environment.
Evidence may include:
- Emails and messages
- Written instructions
- Performance records
- Complaints made to management
- Witness statements
- Medical documentation where relevant
Labour Law No. 4857 also contains an equal-treatment principle. The legal basis and available remedies depend on the facts and evidence in each case.
Remote and Cross-Border Employment
Remote employment may raise questions concerning contractual terms, working hours, equipment, occupational health and safety, data security, applicable law, jurisdiction and work permits.
Where a foreign employee works from Antalya for a foreign company, it should not automatically be assumed either that Turkish law governs every aspect of the relationship or that foreign law excludes all Turkish mandatory protections. Applicable-law and jurisdiction questions may require a separate private-international-law analysis.
Employment Law for Employers and International Businesses
Employers may require legal assessment concerning:
Contracts & Policies
Employment contracts, workplace policies, confidentiality, remote-work and related documentation.
Termination Procedures
Review of termination grounds, notice requirements, documentation and employment-related financial consequences.
Foreign Employees
Assessment of employment documentation alongside current work-permit requirements where foreign workers are employed.
Dispute Resolution
Representation in mediation and litigation where a workplace dispute cannot be resolved directly.
Documents for an Employment-Law Consultation
Depending on the issue, useful documents may include:
- Employment contract
- Passport or identity document
- Work and residence permits where relevant
- Termination notice
- Payroll records
- Bank statements
- Annual-leave records
- Working-time records
- Emails and messages
- Social-security records
- Mediation documents
- Previous judicial documents
The date of any termination notice, mediation report or other formal notification should also be recorded because statutory deadlines may depend on the notification date.
Employment-Law Case Assessment Process
- Employment Relationship: The employee's or employer's legal position and the nature of the employment relationship are identified.
- Document Review: Contracts, payroll, termination documents, communications and other relevant records are examined.
- Claims and Deadlines: Potential claims, defenses and statutory time limits are assessed.
- Mediation Where Required: Mandatory mediation is completed before litigation where the statutory rule applies.
- Litigation: Where settlement is not reached and litigation is appropriate, proceedings may be brought before the competent court.
- Further Remedies: Judicial decisions are reviewed to determine whether appellate or other remedies are available.
Official Employment-Law Resources
Labour Law No. 4857
Principal legislation on employment relationships, termination, working time and job security.
Severance Pay
Article 14 of former Labour Law No. 1475 remains the principal severance-pay provision.
Foreign Work Permits
Official information and current work-permit criteria for foreign employees.
Related Legal Services
Employment & Labour Law Assistance in Antalya
If your matter involves termination, unpaid employment receivables, reinstatement, mediation, a foreign employee or a work-permit issue, the employment documents and any applicable procedural deadlines should be reviewed before determining the appropriate legal route.
Phone: +90 543 620 68 36
Frequently Asked Questions About Employment Law in Turkey
Does Turkish employment law apply to foreign employees?
Potentially, yes. Foreign nationality does not by itself exclude an employee from Turkish employment-law protections. The applicable law and legal position depend on the employment relationship and individual circumstances.
Does every foreign worker need a work permit?
Foreign nationals generally require a valid work permit unless a statutory exemption or another specific legal regime applies. Current Ministry rules should be checked.
Does the five-Turkish-employee rule apply in every work-permit application?
No. The five-employee criterion forms part of the general evaluation framework for qualifying workplaces, but the Ministry provides numerous exemptions and special sector-, employer- and person-specific rules.
Can a foreign employee claim severance pay?
Potentially, yes. Foreign nationality does not by itself prevent severance entitlement. The required service period and statutory reason for termination must be assessed.
What law regulates severance pay in Turkey?
The principal statutory basis is Article 14 of former Labour Law No. 1475, which remains in force for severance-pay purposes.
What are the general statutory notice periods?
Under Article 17 of Labour Law No. 4857, the general notice periods are two, four, six or eight weeks depending on the employee's length of service.
What is the deadline for an employee seeking reinstatement?
Where the statutory reinstatement framework applies, the employee must generally apply to mediation within one month from notification of termination. If no settlement is reached, the lawsuit must generally be filed within two weeks from the final mediation report.
Is mediation mandatory before every employment lawsuit?
No. Mandatory mediation applies to many employment receivable, compensation and reinstatement disputes, but statutory exceptions exist.
Is mandatory mediation required for occupational-accident compensation claims?
No. Pecuniary and non-pecuniary compensation claims arising from occupational accidents or occupational diseases, together with related statutory actions, are expressly excluded from the mandatory-mediation requirement in Article 3 of Labour Courts Law No. 7036.
What is the general weekly working time in Turkey?
Under the general Labour Law framework, ordinary weekly working time is generally 45 hours. Different arrangements and sector-specific rules may need to be considered in individual cases.
What is the general annual overtime limit?
Under the general statutory framework, overtime is generally limited to 270 hours per year.
Can unpaid salary and overtime be claimed together?
Potentially, yes. Different employment receivables may be claimed together where their respective statutory conditions and evidentiary requirements are met.
Can a foreign employee participate in mediation while living abroad?
Depending on the circumstances and authority granted, representation through a properly issued power of attorney may be possible.
Can an employment lawyer guarantee the result of a case?
No. Employment disputes depend on the facts, evidence, applicable law and the decision of the competent authority or court.
Legal review: Attorney Cennet Kesici Çetinbaş — Antalya Bar Association, Registration No. 4696
Last updated: 29 August 2026
Primary legal sources reviewed: Labour Law No. 4857, Article 14 of Labour Law No. 1475, Labour Courts Law No. 7036, International Labour Force Law No. 6735 and current Ministry of Labour and Social Security work-permit criteria.
Legal Information
The information on this page is provided for general legal information purposes and does not constitute legal advice for a specific employment matter. Turkish employment legislation, work-permit criteria, procedural rules and administrative requirements may change. A particular matter should therefore be assessed according to the current legislation, employment records, procedural stage and individual circumstances.
For further information, visit the Legal Guide for Turkey .