Has maternity leave been extended, and did the new law pass Parliament? These questions remain at the center of public debate in Türkiye as the legislative process around birth leave, social media use by minors and several labor-related issues advances step by step.
The proposal covering maternity leave was submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and discussed both in the relevant commissions and in the General Assembly. Within this package, 9 key articles have already been approved. The same package also includes restrictions on social media use for those under 15. Once the commission phase is formally completed and the full text is voted on in the General Assembly, the law is expected to be published in the Official Gazette and enter into force.
So where do things stand now, how many weeks is maternity leave, and what changes for payments in 2026?
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Has maternity leave been extended to 24 weeks?
Yes. The newly adopted regulation significantly increases maternity leave for working women in Türkiye. For both workers under the Labor Code and civil servants, the total duration of paid birth leave will rise to 24 weeks.
The 24 weeks are split as follows:
– 8 weeks before birth
– 16 weeks after birth
The pre‑ and post‑natal periods thus become clearly defined in the law, and the main increase concerns the post‑birth phase, giving mothers significantly more time at home with their newborns while still under the protection of paid leave.
Women whose health allows them to continue working and who present an appropriate medical report will be able, if they wish, to work closer to the expected birth date. In such cases, the unused portion of the pre‑natal leave can be transferred to the post‑natal period, extending the time spent with the baby after delivery.
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What exactly did Parliament approve?
The law package combining social media rules for minors and amendments to maternity leave was debated in the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly. Within this package, 9 articles were accepted.
Key points of the approved articles include:
– Extension of total maternity leave to 24 weeks
– New rules on social media use for children under 15
– Increase of paternity leave for spouses
– Expansion of temporary incapacity benefits for insured women
– Special arrangements for early birth and transfer of unused pre‑natal leave
– Additional rights for adoptive and foster families
– Harmonized increases for military and security personnel
The final step is the completion of the commission phase for the remaining articles and the overall vote in the General Assembly. After that, the law will be published in the Official Gazette and will officially enter into force. Until publication, the existing rules continue to apply, but employers and employees are already preparing for the new framework.
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How much is birth leave now, and how is it structured?
Under the new regulation, maternity leave for employed women in Türkiye is 24 weeks in total:
– 8 weeks before delivery
– 16 weeks after delivery
Women may, with a doctor’s approval, choose to work closer to the delivery date. In this case:
– The time that they continue to work instead of staying on pre‑natal leave
– Is added to the post‑natal leave period, increasing the time at home after birth.
In the event of multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets, etc.), an additional 2 weeks are added to the pre‑natal period. This means that in multiple pregnancies, the pre‑birth leave can go beyond 8 weeks, and the overall paid protection period is further strengthened.
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Paternity leave: how many days does the spouse get?
Another important change concerns fathers or spouses of women who give birth. Under the amendment to the Labor Code:
– Paternity leave (spousal birth leave) is increased from 5 days to 10 days.
These 10 days are paid leave, granted when the spouse gives birth. This change is intended to support shared childcare responsibilities in the first days after delivery, allow fathers to participate more fully in the post‑natal period, and ease the logistical and emotional load on new mothers.
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Temporary incapacity allowance: who can receive it and under what conditions?
The scope of the temporary incapacity allowance paid by the Social Security Institution (SGK) to insured women is also being expanded and clarified.
Key conditions and rules:
– The woman must be insured under the SGK system (4A).
– She must have at least 90 days of premium contributions in the 12 months prior to birth.
– With these conditions met, she is entitled to a temporary incapacity benefit for:
– 8 weeks before birth, and
– 16 weeks after birth
(with an extra 2 weeks before birth in case of multiple pregnancy).
This allowance is paid for the days when the insured mother cannot work due to pregnancy and childbirth. It is calculated based on the insured woman’s recent gross earnings.
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Early birth and transfer of leave
The legislation also addresses the situation where the baby arrives earlier than the expected due date.
– If the birth occurs before the start or mid‑way through the pre‑natal leave period, the mother will not lose the unused portion of that pre‑natal leave.
– Instead, unused pre‑natal days are added to the post‑natal leave.
This prevents the mother from being penalized in terms of total leave duration because of an early birth and ensures that the total protection period around childbirth is preserved.
Additionally, the period during which a pregnant employee can continue to work with medical approval is adjusted:
– Previously, women could work up until 3 weeks before birth with a doctor’s approval.
– Under the new arrangement, this limit is pushed closer to the due date, allowing women to work up to 2 weeks before birth, again with doctor’s consent.
The days worked instead of taking pre‑natal leave are then transferred to the post‑natal phase, extending the time spent with the baby.
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Increases for military and security personnel
The reform also covers women working in the armed forces and internal security institutions.
For personnel within:
– The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK)
– The Coast Guard Command
– The Gendarmerie General Command
the following changes apply:
– Post‑natal paid leave is increased from 8 weeks to 16 weeks.
– Combined with the pre‑natal period, the total maternity leave reaches 24 weeks for female military and security staff as well.
This adjustment aligns the rights of women in uniform with those of civilian employees and reflects the heavy workload and specific risks associated with military and security professions.
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Rights for adoptive parents and foster families
The law does not only focus on biological mothers. It also introduces new entitlements for adoptive parents and foster families, especially in the military context:
– Military personnel who adopt a child up to the age of 3 are entitled to 8 weeks of leave starting from the date the child is handed over.
– Military personnel who become foster parents are granted, upon request, 10 days of leave from the date the child is placed in their care.
These arrangements acknowledge that bonding with an adopted or foster child also requires time, adaptation and presence at home, not just in cases of biological birth.
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How much will maternity leave payments be in 2026?
With the extension of maternity leave to 24 weeks, the amount of temporary incapacity benefit (often referred to as “report pay”) for insured mothers will rise accordingly.
For women insured under SGK (4A):
– They must have at least 90 days of premium contributions in the last year.
– The daily allowance is calculated as two‑thirds of the average gross daily earnings over the last 12 months.
– Previously, payments were made for 16 weeks (112 days).
– With the new 24‑week duration, payments will cover 24 weeks (168 days).
This means a substantial increase in the total amount paid over the maternity leave period.
For example, for a woman earning the statutory minimum wage, the total allowance:
– Used to be calculated over 112 days of leave, resulting in a payment of around 82,000 TL.
– With the leave extended to 168 days, this amount may rise to approximately 123,000 TL (figures indicative, based on the extended duration and current wage levels).
The exact amount will change according to the mother’s gross wage and updated minimum wage and premium parameters applicable in 2026.
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What about civil servants’ pay during maternity leave?
For civil servant mothers, the situation is somewhat different from that of insured workers under the Labor Code:
– Throughout their maternity leave, their salary continues to be paid in full.
– Since civil servants already receive their regular pay during birth leave, they typically do not receive a separate temporary incapacity allowance in addition.
In other words, while 4A‑insured workers rely more directly on SGK’s temporary incapacity payments to replace their income during leave, civil servants maintain their normal salary, and their protection mechanism runs through the public employment system itself.
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Social media restrictions for children under 15
One of the most discussed elements of the same legal package is the introduction of stricter rules on social media use for those under 15 years of age.
Although the article primarily focuses on maternity arrangements, it is important to note that:
– The law limits social media access for children under 15 in an attempt to protect minors from harmful content and risks in the digital environment.
– This provision is part of a broader child protection and digital safety framework and will require platforms, parents and regulators to adapt to the new rules.
The maternity leave reform and the social media provisions thus form two pillars of a larger policy approach aimed at supporting families and safeguarding children’s physical and digital well‑being.
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When will the new maternity leave rules fully enter into force?
The legislative process around birth leave regulations has largely progressed, with 9 crucial articles already adopted in the General Assembly. The expected sequence is as follows:
1. Completion of remaining commission discussions (if any outstanding technical points remain).
2. Final general vote on the full law text in the General Assembly.
3. Publication in the Official Gazette.
4. Entry into force on the date specified in the law (or immediately upon publication, if no special date is stipulated).
Once published, the 24‑week maternity leave, increased paternity leave, expanded temporary incapacity benefits and new rights for adoptive and foster parents will become legally binding. Employees, employers and public institutions will then need to apply the new provisions in all relevant employment and social security procedures.
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What should expectant parents do now?
While the legal text completes its final stages, expectant parents and employees can take several practical steps:
– Follow official announcements from public institutions about the exact start date of the new rules.
– Check your insurance status and premium days if you are an employed mother under SGK, to ensure you have the required 90 days of contributions in the last year.
– Discuss maternity and paternity leave plans with your employer in advance, especially regarding how pre‑ and post‑natal periods will be organized in your specific case.
– If you are in the military or a security institution and are considering adoption or foster care, review internal regulations that will adapt to the new law and clarify the procedure for requesting leave.
The extension of maternity leave to 24 weeks, the increase in paternity leave, and the reinforcement of economic support during the birth period mark an important step in strengthening family policy in Türkiye. Once fully in force, the new framework is expected to offer working parents more time, financial protection and legal certainty during one of the most critical phases of family life.