Hiring in Türkiye

The terms set out role, salary in TRY, working time, leave, notice and any restrictive covenants. The EOR is the counterparty to the employee, which is what removes the need for your own entity.

Bilingual Turkish and English contracts are standard for commercial roles, with the Turkish text usually prevailing.

Fixed-term contracts need an objective reason, such as a defined project. Renewing them without one converts the contract to indefinite, so most EORs default to indefinite terms.

Set probation from day one. It cannot be extended beyond the statutory cap, even with the employee's agreement.

Some EORs shorten probation as policy because they, not you, carry the dismissal risk. Ask before you agree a start date.

Overtime is paid at 1.5 times the hourly rate, with a cap of 270 hours a year and the employee's written consent required.

Professional contracts often fold overtime into salary up to the annual cap, which the courts tend to accept for senior, well-paid roles. Put the position in writing either way.

Leave only vests after 12 months, including probation, so year-one leave is a contractual matter. Many employers grant it in advance, so settle the position in the offer and budget for it.

Sick pay comes from social security from the third day of incapacity, and many employers top up to full salary. Maternity leave is 24 weeks and funded by social security, while 10 days of paternity leave is paid by the employer, so confirm which side the EOR carries.

Either side may terminate on notice or pay in lieu. Severance follows a fixed statutory formula: 30 days' gross pay per year of service, capped at a ceiling the government resets every six months.

The EOR runs the process as the legal employer and will want the paperwork in order, including final pay, unused leave, notice pay and severance. In workplaces with 30 or more staff, employees with six months' service can claim reinstatement, and those claims start with mandatory mediation, so keep a documented reason.

Private medical cover and meal allowances are standard for professional roles even though they are not mandatory.

EORs often bundle benefits through a group scheme. Ask what is included in the fee and what is billed on top.

Employer social security contributions add 21.75% on top of gross salary, up to a monthly earnings ceiling and after the on-time payment discount. That is before the EOR fee.

Cumulative tax brackets are the trap. Income tax is calculated on year-to-date earnings, so net pay falls through the year even when gross pay is flat. Agree whether offers are quoted gross or net, and price any net guarantee.

Ask whether the EOR sponsors directly or refers to a partner. A partner-model EOR often cannot sponsor at all, and the rule of five Turkish employees per foreign hire, along with salary floors, applies to the sponsor, not to you.

Set start dates after approval, not before.

Get the data processing terms in the service agreement, not just the privacy notice. Cross-border transfers need a lawful basis, and standard contracts must be notified to the data protection authority within five business days of signing.

Ask where payroll data is hosted and who in the partner chain can see it.

Incorporation here is quick, but the running cost is the point: notarised filings, Turkish-language statutory books, e-ledger and e-invoicing, a local accountant, audit thresholds and payroll software set an annual floor.

Permanent establishment risk is about what people do, not where payroll sits. Revenue-generating activity can create exposure regardless of the employment route.