In short
Under Article 74 of Labour Law No. 4857, a female employee may not be made to work for 8 weeks before and 16 weeks after the birth, 24 weeks in total; for a multiple pregnancy 2 weeks are added before the birth, making 26 weeks. These lengths took effect on 1 May 2026 under Law No. 7578. If she wishes, the employee may also take up to 6 months of unpaid leave once maternity leave ends.
Key points
- Maternity leave is 8 + 16 = 24 weeks for a single pregnancy and 10 + 16 = 26 weeks for a multiple pregnancy (Art. 74(1), Law No. 7578).
- If her health allows and a doctor approves, the employee may work until two weeks before the birth; the time worked is added after the birth.
- After a premature birth the unused prenatal period is added after the birth; if the mother dies, the unused postnatal period passes to the father.
- One of the spouses, or the single adopter, adopting a child under three gets 8 weeks of maternity leave from the date the child is placed.
- Maternity leave counts as time worked for annual leave (Art. 55(b)); the following unpaid leave of up to 6 months is disregarded (Art. 74(6)).
How long is maternity leave?
Maternity leave is governed by Article 74 of Labour Law No. 4857. Law No. 7578 (Official Gazette 1 May 2026, No. 33240) extended the postnatal period from 8 to 16 weeks. The change took effect on 1 May 2026 and applies directly to private-sector employees.
| Situation | Before birth | After birth | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single pregnancy | 8 weeks | 16 weeks | 24 weeks |
| Multiple pregnancy | 10 weeks | 16 weeks | 26 weeks |
| Working until two weeks before birth with a doctor's approval | at least 2 weeks | 16 weeks + time worked | 24 / 26 weeks |
| Premature birth | unused part | added after the birth | 24 / 26 weeks |
| Mother dies | — | remaining postnatal period passes to the father | — |
| Adoption (child under three) | — | 8 weeks from actual placement | 8 weeks |
The law's starting point is that the employee "is not to be made to work" during these periods. Making her work before or after the birth, or refusing the unpaid leave the article provides, in breach of Art. 74 attracts an administrative fine under Art. 104; the amount for 2026 is TRY 26,620.
Before and after the birth
Working until birth: the two-week rule
If her health allows, a female employee may, with her doctor's approval and if she wishes, keep working until two weeks before the birth. The time she works is then added to the postnatal period. Before Law No. 7578 the limit was three weeks.
Premature birth
If the baby arrives early, the prenatal time that could not be used is added to the postnatal period. The total does not change.
Multiple pregnancy
For a multiple pregnancy, two weeks are added to the eight-week prenatal period. The postnatal period stays at 16 weeks, giving 26 weeks in total.
Worked example
Take a single pregnancy with an expected birth date of Monday 14 December 2026.
| Scenario | Prenatal leave | Postnatal leave | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 8 weeks (from 19 October 2026) | 16 weeks | 24 weeks |
| Working until two weeks before birth with a doctor's approval | 2 weeks (from 30 November 2026) | 16 + 6 = 22 weeks | 24 weeks |
| Leave started 19 October, baby born early on 23 November 2026 | 5 weeks | 16 + 3 = 19 weeks | 24 weeks |
In all three scenarios the total is 24 weeks; only the split before and after the birth changes. These periods may be extended by a doctor's report, depending on the employee's health and the nature of the work (Art. 74(3)).
The mother's death and adoption
If the mother dies at or after the birth, the postnatal periods she could not use are given to the father (Art. 74(1)).
One of the spouses, or the single adopter, adopting a child under three is given 8 weeks of maternity leave from the date the child is actually placed with the family. Law No. 7578 did not change this period. Adoption also gives 3 days of paid leave under Additional Article 2; see the paternity, marriage and bereavement leave guide. Neither right depends on gender.
Other rights during pregnancy
- Check-ups: A pregnant employee gets paid leave for periodic check-ups throughout the pregnancy (Art. 74(4)).
- Lighter work: Where a doctor's report requires it, a pregnant employee is given lighter work without a pay cut (Art. 74(5)).
- Daily working time: A pregnant or breastfeeding employee may not work more than seven and a half hours a day (Regulation on the Working Conditions of Pregnant or Breastfeeding Women, Nursing Rooms and Childcare Centres, Art. 9(1)).
- Night work: An employee whose pregnancy is confirmed by a medical report cannot be required to work nights until the birth, and may not work nights for one year after the birth (same Regulation, Art. 8).
After maternity leave
Up to six months of unpaid leave
On request, the employee may take up to six months of unpaid leave once the 24-week period (26 weeks for a multiple pregnancy) ends. The same leave is available to one of the spouses, or the single adopter, adopting a child under three (Art. 74(6)). The law is explicit: this period is disregarded when annual paid leave entitlement is calculated, so the next annual leave entitlement date moves back by the time taken. See our unpaid leave guide for the general rules.
Nursing leave, half-time work and part-time work
Other rights apply once the employee returns: 1.5 hours of nursing leave a day until the child turns one (Art. 74(7)); half-time work, meaning unpaid leave equal to half of the weekly working time after maternity leave (Art. 74(2)); and the right to request part-time work until the start of the month following the date compulsory primary schooling begins (Art. 13(5)). The nursing leave and half-time work guide covers them in detail.
Annual leave and the SGK allowance
- Counts as time worked: The days a female employee does not work before and after the birth under Art. 74 count as time worked for annual leave entitlement (Art. 55(b)). Maternity leave does not move the entitlement date.
- Not deducted from annual leave: Maternity leave does not touch the annual leave balance.
- SGK allowance: The temporary incapacity allowance for the maternity period is governed by Art. 18 of Law No. 5510. Law No. 7578 aligned the allowance periods with the new 8 weeks before and 16 weeks after the birth. The conditions and amount of the allowance are outside the scope of this guide; review them with your payroll specialist.
- Scope: Article 74 applies to every employee working under an employment contract, whether or not they fall within the Labour Law's scope (Art. 74(8)).
The 7578 transitional rule (historical note)
Provisional Article 1 of Law No. 7578 gave 8 weeks of additional maternity leave to employees whose maternity leave had already ended when the change took effect but who, as at 1 April 2026, had not completed 24 weeks since the birth, provided they applied within 10 working days of the law taking effect. That window closed in May 2026. Today it matters only for interpreting past records correctly.
One caution: Article 5 of the Regulation on Part-Time Work after Maternity Leave or Unpaid Leave, as at 10 October 2026, still contains the old lengths (8 + 8 = 16 weeks and the three-week rule). The law prevails over the regulation; the current lengths are those in Art. 74. We recommend reviewing any special cases that fall in the transition period with an employment lawyer.
How İzin360 handles it
- Statutory types built in. Maternity leave (birth), postnatal leave passing to the father on the mother's death, adoption leave for a child under three and unpaid leave after maternity leave are ready-made leave types. Leave passing to the father and adoption leave are defined without a gender restriction.
- Recorded with the birth date. A maternity leave request is recorded with the birth date, or the expected birth date if the baby has not yet arrived. The leave is counted in calendar days, and the request is checked against the new statutory maximum for births on or after 1 May 2026.
- Correct effect on annual leave. Maternity leave is never deducted from the annual leave balance and does not move the entitlement date. Unpaid leave after maternity leave does not count towards entitlement, so İzin360 moves the next entitlement date back automatically.
- Documents kept safe. A maternity leave request asks for a document, such as a doctor's report, before it can be submitted. Every file is virus-scanned and stored encrypted, and two-factor authentication is required to view health documents.
- Privacy. Maternity leave is marked as a health-related type: colleagues see only "On leave" on the team calendar; the type is visible to HR, the employee and their manager.
- HR can enter it. If the employee cannot create the request herself, HR can enter the leave on her behalf.
- Arrangements after return. Nursing leave and half-time work are recorded as arrangements defined by HR, not as day-based requests.
Frequently asked questions
How long is maternity leave after 1 May 2026?
For a single pregnancy, 8 weeks before and 16 weeks after the birth, 24 weeks in total; for a multiple pregnancy 2 weeks are added before the birth, 26 weeks in total (Labour Law No. 4857, Art. 74(1), as amended by Law No. 7578).
Can an employee work until the birth?
If her health allows and a doctor approves, a female employee may choose to work until two weeks before the birth. The time she works is then added to her postnatal leave, so the total does not shrink (Art. 74(1)).
Does maternity leave affect annual leave entitlement?
No. Time on maternity leave counts as time worked for annual leave entitlement (Art. 55(b)) and is not deducted from the annual leave balance. The unpaid leave of up to six months taken after maternity leave, however, is disregarded (Art. 74(6)), so the entitlement date moves back.
Can an adoptive father take maternity leave?
Yes. One of the spouses, or the single adopter, adopting a child under three is given 8 weeks of maternity leave from the date the child is actually placed with the family (Art. 74(1)). The law does not tie this right to gender.
Is leave shortened after a premature birth?
No. If the baby is born early, the prenatal time the employee could not use is added to the postnatal period (Art. 74(1)). The total remains 24 weeks, or 26 weeks for a multiple pregnancy.
Legal basis
- Labour Law No. 4857, Art. 74 (as amended by Law No. 7578, Art. 15)
- Law No. 7578, Official Gazette 1 May 2026, No. 33240; Provisional Art. 1
- Labour Law No. 4857, Art. 55(b), 104
- Law No. 5510, Art. 15(2), 18 (as amended by Law No. 7578, Art. 18–19)
- Regulation on the Working Conditions of Pregnant or Breastfeeding Women, Nursing Rooms and Childcare Centres, Art. 8, 9
- Regulation on Part-Time Work after Maternity Leave or Unpaid Leave, Art. 5
- Ministry of Labour and Social Security, 2026 administrative fines table under Labour Law No. 4857