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The Law Amending the Social Services Law and Certain Other Laws (“Amendement Law”), published in the Official Gazette dated 1 May 2026 and numbered 33240, introduces significant amendments to various laws, particularly regarding maternity leave periods. These regulations entered into force on the date of publication.
With this Law, maternity leave periods have been substantially revised, postnatal leave durations have been extended, and specific provisions regarding the transition period have been introduced. In this context, the main amendments introduced by Articles 15, 16, 19, and Provisional Article 1 of the Law are summarized below:
Amendments to Articles 15 and 16 – Extension of Maternity Leave Periods
Within the scope of amendments made to Law No. 5510 on Social Insurance and General Health Insurance, maternity leave periods have been restructured.
Accordingly:
- The periods considered within the scope of maternity have been expanded,
- The postnatal leave period has been increased from 8 weeks to 16 weeks,
- Thus, the total leave period has been set at 24 weeks, consisting of 8 weeks before birth and 16 weeks after birth.
- Paternity leave period has been increased from 5 days to 10 days.
Amendments to Article 19 – Changes in Periods for Temporary Incapacity Allowance
With the amendments made to the relevant provisions of the Amendment Law:
- The phrase “eight weeks before and after childbirth” has been replaced with “eight weeks before childbirth and sixteen weeks after childbirth,”
- Additionally, the durations specified in certain subparagraphs have also been revised.
Through this regulation, the rights provided under maternity insurance have been aligned with the new leave periods.
Provisional Article 1 – Additional Maternity Leave for the Transition Period
The Amendment Law also introduces a specific arrangement for the transition period.
Accordingly:
- Individuals whose maternity leave period had ended under the previous legislation as of the effective date of the regulation,
- But who had not yet completed the 24-week period from the date of childbirth as of April 1, 2026,
may benefit from this right under certain conditions.
In this context:
- An additional 8 weeks of maternity leave will be granted upon request,
- In order to benefit from this right, an application must be submitted within 10 working days from the effective date.
You can access the text of the Amendment Law via this link. (Only available in Turkish)
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
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