Türkiye Maternity and Paternity Leave by Year

This page shows maternity, paternity and adoption leave in Türkiye since 2005 by status: employees, civil servants, 4/B contract staff and the self-employed (4/b). When the rules of a status change, the table gets a new row for that status. The maternity leave calculator reads this table.

How to read the table

• Status: an employee works under an employment contract, in a public body or a private company. Civil servants follow Law no. 657, contract staff the 4/B principles. The self-employed have no leave; their row shows the periods SGK pays the maternity benefit for.
• Before the birth, after the birth and total: the weeks of leave; multiple pregnancy: the period before the birth and the total for twins or more.
• Work allowed until: the last week before the birth one may work with a doctor’s approval. The weeks worked move to after the birth.
• Unused days of an early birth move after it: whether the days an early birth leaves unused are added after the birth.
• Nursing leave and half-time work: the rights after the maternity leave; an empty cell means the status has no such right.
• Paternity leave and adoption leave: the days for a father whose wife gives birth, and the weeks for a parent who adopts a child under 3.

Periods

A change also applies to leave running on the day it takes effect: the leave after the birth of employees and civil servants on leave on 1 May 2026 grew by 56 days; for 4/B contract staff the same change came on 8 May 2026. Those whose leave had ended, but for whom 24 weeks since the birth had not passed on 1 April 2026, could ask for 8 more weeks within 10 working days. Contract staff rules are shown from 14 May 2018, the self-employed from 1 October 2008.

Legal basis

Employees: Labour Law no. 4857 art. 74 and additional art. 2; civil servants: Law no. 657 art. 104; 4/B contract staff: the principles on the employment of contract staff, art. 9; the self-employed: Law no. 5510 art. 18. The changes came with Laws no. 6111 (2011), 6645 (2015), 6663 (2016) and 7578 (2026) and Presidential Decision no. 11307.