How to hire in Turkey through an EOR

Fixed-term contracts in Turkey are the exception, not the rule. For most hires, you'll want an indefinite-term contract. It's the standard under Turkish law and avoids a lot of headaches down the line.

Contract types

Indefinite-term contracts are the default under Turkish Labor Law No. 4857. If you use a fixed-term contract, you need a clear objective reason, like a specific project or seasonal work. Without one, courts will treat it as indefinite anyway.

For core hires, stick to indefinite-term. It keeps you out of disputes over whether a fixed-term contract was valid in the first place.

What has to be in the contract

Verbal contracts are technically allowed for roles under one year, but fixed-term contracts must always be in writing. For anything lasting a year or longer, put it in writing regardless.

Within two months of the start date, you need to give the employee a document covering the basics: job duties, working hours, pay amount and timing, contract length if fixed, and termination rules. Turkish is standard, but if the employee prefers English, you can use both. Just make sure the Turkish version governs in any dispute.

Probation is capped at two months, or up to four months if there's a collective agreement in place. During probation, you can end the contract at any time without notice or severance. The employee is still owed pay for hours worked.

Contractor vs. employee

Turkish courts look at how the relationship actually works, not what you call it. If you control how, when, and where someone works, and you're paying them wages for it, that's an employment relationship. The contract label doesn't change that.

Getting this wrong is costly. Misclassification can mean back wages, social security contributions, severance, notice pay, and in some cases reinstatement. Fines start at thousands of lira per violation. Back taxes come with penalties up to 100% plus interest, and the worker can sue for years of unpaid benefits.

Non-competes can hold up in court if they're reasonable: typically under two years, limited in geography, and scoped to relevant work. You'll need to pay compensation during the restriction period, or the clause won't be enforceable. On IP, employees own what they invent unless the contract says otherwise and you've compensated them fairly for it.

If you're unsure how to classify someone, that's exactly where an EOR helps. They handle classification from day one so you're not exposed later.

Turkey's leave and benefits setup is more generous than many Western countries, but there's a real gap between what the law requires and what employees actually expect. If you're hiring in Turkey, you need to understand both.

Annual leave: the numbers

Every employee in Turkey gets paid annual leave after one full year of service, including probation. How much depends on how long they've been with you:

These are legal minimums. You can offer more through employment contracts or collective agreements, and many companies do.

Leave accrues from each employee's individual start date, not the calendar year. If someone joins in November, their first leave anniversary falls in November the following year. Employees can split leave into up to three parts, but at least one block must be 10 consecutive days. They need to request leave in writing at least one month ahead, but you have final say on timing based on business needs.

One thing that catches foreign employers off guard: unused leave rolls over. Turkish law doesn't require employees to use it within the year they earn it. If someone leaves after several years, you must pay out all unused leave at their gross salary rate. That can add up to a meaningful amount.

All leave types

Here's what Turkish labor law covers:

Sick leave is the one that tends to surprise people. The first three days are unpaid, but from day four onward, the employee receives 50% of their salary for up to one year. You'll typically need a doctor's note from day two.

Mandatory benefits and employer contributions

Social security isn't optional. You must enroll every employee in Turkey's social security system (SGK). Here's how the contributions break down:

Social security contributions: The employee pays 14% of gross salary, split across health, unemployment, and pension. You pay 20.5% on top of that. These are deducted automatically and sent to SGK.

Health insurance: Covered through social security. Employees and their dependents get access to public healthcare. Many employers also offer private health insurance as a competitive benefit, but it's not legally required.

Pension: Mandatory through SGK. Employees contribute 9% of gross salary; you contribute 11.5%. This is a defined-benefit system, not a 401(k) equivalent.

Meal vouchers: Not legally required, but very common. Most companies provide meal vouchers (yemek kartı) worth roughly 100–150 Turkish Lira per working day, which employees use at partner restaurants. It's become a standard expectation.

Transport allowance: Also not mandatory, but standard in most sectors. Companies typically cover public transport passes or provide a monthly allowance of 50–200 TL depending on location.

Severance pay: If you terminate an employee without cause after one year of service, you owe severance equal to 30 days of gross salary per year of service, capped at 8.5 months. This is a real liability worth planning for.

What employees actually expect

The legal minimum won't get you far if you're trying to hire good people. Here's where the gap shows up:

Private health insurance: In Istanbul and Ankara especially, experienced employees expect private health coverage for themselves and their families. Depending on the plan, this typically costs 3,000–8,000 TL per year per employee. For mid-level and senior hires, it's a baseline expectation.

More annual leave: 14 days feels low to most experienced candidates. Companies competing for talent often offer 18–22 days from day one, regardless of tenure.

Remote work flexibility: Hybrid or remote work is expected, especially in tech and professional services. An offer that requires five days in-office isn't a dealbreaker if the salary is strong, but when two similar roles are on the table, the flexible one usually wins.

Performance bonuses: Annual bonuses of 0.5–2 months' salary are standard in competitive sectors. They're not legally required, but employees factor them into their total compensation expectations.

Professional development: Training budgets and conference attendance are expected, not treated as a perk. Budget around 500–2,000 TL per employee per year for this.

Offer only the legal minimum and you'll attract candidates with limited options. Match what local competitors offer and you'll be in a position to hire people who actually have choices.

Letting someone go in Turkey carries real legal risk if you don't have valid grounds. In companies with 30+ employees, a dismissed worker can sue for reinstatement or 4-8 months' salary in compensation. Courts tend to side with employees, so documentation and process matter a lot here.

Firing someone

Under Labor Law No. 4857, you need a legitimate reason to terminate. That includes poor performance, redundancy, restructuring, economic necessity, or misconduct like theft, dishonesty, violence, or prolonged absence. For immediate termination without notice, you'll need to show just cause, such as a serious breach of trust, criminal behavior, or a health condition that prevents the employee from doing their job.

Without valid grounds or proper procedure, you're looking at an unfair dismissal claim. In workplaces with 30+ employees, workers with 6+ months' service have job security protections. They can file for reemployment within one month of dismissal, and if a court finds the firing unjustified, it can order reinstatement or 4-8 months' pay.

Always document performance issues, run proper investigations, and issue written notice that clearly states your reasons. Mutual termination agreements can work, but they need to be in writing and include severance, otherwise the employee retains their full rights.

Notice periods

For indefinite contracts after probation, both you and the employee are required to give notice. The minimum period depends on how long they've been with you. If you want to end things immediately, you can pay in lieu of notice. Employees aren't obligated to honor notice periods beyond the legal minimums if they resign.

Severance

If an employee has been with you for at least one year on an indefinite contract, severance is required, unless you're terminating for just cause or they resign without good reason. The calculation is 30 days' gross pay per full year worked, using their last salary plus any recurring benefits like bonuses, prorated for partial years.

Severance is due at the point of termination, whether you give notice or pay in lieu. There's no severance obligation during probation or for fixed-term contracts unless the contract says otherwise. There's also a cap: for January-June 2026, it's 64,948.77 TL per year of service.

The cap applies to the total amount, not per year. The statute of limitations starts from the date payment is due.

Work permits and visas

You can hire foreign nationals through an EOR in Turkey. The EOR acts as the legal employer and handles work permit sponsorship. A visa alone doesn't allow someone to work, so the permit needs to be in place before your hire starts.

The main permit types are: short-term (up to 1 year, renewable), long-term (for those with 8+ years of continuous work in Turkey), independent (for freelancers), and the Turquoise Card, which is roughly equivalent to a green card and aimed at highly skilled workers. You'll need to provide a job offer, proof of qualifications, a clean criminal record, and health insurance. Applications go through the Ministry of Labor and Social Security online portal, and processing typically takes 30-90 days.

There's no digital nomad visa in Turkey. Your EOR will manage the sponsorship process, but you'll need to supply the role details. Unauthorized work or overstays can result in fines or deportation, so don't let someone start before the permit is confirmed.

A few other things worth knowing

Turkey has its own data protection law, KVKK, which works similarly to GDPR. You'll need consent to process personal data, a 72-hour window to report breaches, and potentially a DPO depending on your setup. Fines can reach 1% of global turnover, so it's worth taking seriously.

Trade unions are active in Turkey. If 10% or more of a workplace is unionized, collective agreements may apply, and those override individual contracts on pay and conditions. It's worth checking whether your EOR role falls under one before you finalize terms.

On recent developments: 2025 brought court rulings expanding remote work rights and stronger protections against harassment. For 2026, keep an eye on the severance cap, which updates semi-annually, and possible extensions to job security rules. No major legislative overhauls are expected, but inflation has been pushing wage thresholds up steadily.