What Are The Public Holidays in Turkey in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Turkey (2026)

Turkey has a mix of fixed-date national days and moving religious holidays based on the Islamic lunar calendar. Use this 2026 holiday list to plan staffing, leave approvals, and payroll for your team members in Turkey.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, under Turkish labour law, employees are generally entitled to paid leave on official public holidays. If an employee does not work on a public holiday, you must still pay their regular daily wage. If they do work, you must pay an additional full day’s wage for the holiday on top of their normal pay, so the total is at least double pay for that day.

Public holidays are national in scope, so the same list applies across Turkey rather than by region. However, some sectors with continuous operations, such as healthcare or hospitality, may require work on holidays, in which case the premium pay rules still apply. Part-time employees are entitled to public holiday pay for holidays that fall on days they would normally work, pro-rated to their schedule.

Most holidays are observed on their calendar date, even if they fall on a weekend. There is no automatic legal requirement to move the holiday to a weekday, although many employers choose to offer bridge days or additional leave as a matter of policy or collective agreement. Half-day holidays, such as the eves of the Ramadan Feast and Sacrifice Feast, are typically treated as half working days with corresponding pay obligations.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

If your company fails to pay employees correctly for public holidays, you risk administrative fines under the Turkish Labour Law and related regulations. Labour inspectors from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security can review your payroll records, timekeeping, and employment contracts to verify that holiday pay has been calculated and paid in line with the law.

Penalties can include per-employee fines for each violation period, back payment of wages with interest, and potential compensation claims from employees. In more serious or repeated cases, non-compliance can also affect your company’s ability to participate in public tenders or benefit from certain incentives. The safest approach is to keep clear written policies, accurate time records, and payslips that show holiday work and premium pay separately.

Common employer mistakes include treating public holidays as unpaid leave, failing to pay the additional day’s wage when employees work on a holiday, misclassifying half-days, or assuming that weekend holidays do not trigger any entitlement. When in doubt, you should seek local legal advice and apply the more employee-favourable interpretation to reduce risk.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

In Turkey, public holidays sit alongside the standard weekly working time limits. The general rule is that full-time employees may work up to 45 hours per week, usually spread evenly across the week. Hours worked on a public holiday are not simply treated as normal overtime: they must first be compensated with the additional holiday wage, and then any hours that push the employee over the weekly limit may also trigger overtime premiums.

For example, if an employee works on a public holiday and their total weekly hours exceed 45, you must pay both the extra full day’s wage for holiday work and the statutory overtime premium for hours above the weekly threshold. Overtime is typically paid at a rate of at least 1.5 times the regular hourly wage. Collective bargaining agreements or company policies may provide higher rates or more generous compensatory time off, and you should always follow the more favourable rule for the employee.

Because holiday work and overtime interact, it is important to track hours precisely and to distinguish between regular hours, holiday hours, and overtime in your payroll system. This is especially critical for shift-based operations around the Ramadan and Sacrifice Feasts, when multi-day holidays can coincide with peak business activity.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing Turkey's public holidays and leave rules doesn’t have to be complex. Playroll keeps you 100% compliant by automatically tracking local holidays, observed days, and pay requirements –  so your team is paid correctly and on time, every time.

Whether you’re hiring your first employee or scaling a growing team, Playroll lets you employ talent without setting up a local entity. We handle compliant contracts, benefits, and payroll in one platform, so you can reduce compliance risk and focus on growing your business while we take care of the heavy-lifting in the background. Book a chat with our team to get started.