Maternity And Paternity Leave Periods Revised Under The Turkish Labour Code

The Law No. 7578 Amending the Social Services Law and Certain Other Laws, published in the Official Gazette dated 1 May 2026, has introduced amendments to the Turkish Labour Code No. 4857 concerning periods of (i) maternity leave and (ii) paternity leave, as well as (iii) foster care leave, all of which entered into force on the same date. These amendments introduce significant developments in the leave rights of all employees, including those currently on maternity leave.

The amendments are as follows:

Maternity leave periods extended. The post-birth period of the total 16-week maternity leave, comprising eight weeks prior to and eight weeks following childbirth, has been extended to 16 weeks, raising the total maternity leave entitlement to 24 weeks. In addition, the maximum period during which an employee may continue to work prior to childbirth with a doctor’s approval has been reduced from three weeks to two weeks; the practice of adding any such period to post-birth leave, as