Hiring in Turkiye? Cost scales with how long they stay.

Turkiye is a G20 manufacturing and logistics hub straddling two continents, but the cost of getting your employment model wrong is real: severance and notice obligations scale with tenure, and the statutory minimum wage is reset every January to keep pace with inflation. We help you choose the right way to hire, place you with the right partner, and stay alongside you for the life of the relationship.

  • Independent advice
  • Vetted partners
  • On your side at renewal

A G20 manufacturing base. A tenure-scaled cost structure underneath.

Turkiye is a diversified manufacturing, automotive, and textile exporter of roughly 85 million people, bridging Europe and Asia through an EU customs union for industrial goods, but employer cost is not flat: SGK contributions run through four components with a Treasury-supported discount that varies by sector, severance pay accrues at 30 days’ gross wage per year of service up to a Treasury-set ceiling revised every six months, and the statutory minimum wage is reset every January by a double-digit percentage to track inflation.

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A G20 manufacturing and export base, reset by inflation every January

Home to a large automotive, textile, and electronics export sector and an EU customs union for industrial goods, but Turkiye has no flat, set-and-forget payroll cost: the statutory minimum wage was raised 27% for 2026 alone, and both social security contributions and severance pay move on their own separate schedules.

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Tenure-scaled cost, not a flat rate

A single national Labour Law No. 4857, mandatory SGK social insurance registration from day one, notice periods that scale from two to eight weeks by length of service, and severance pay that accrues every year an employee stays, mean your true employment cost depends on who you hire and how long they stay, not just their salary.

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Independent expert advice

Not sure whether you need EOR, payroll, or your own A.Ş. or Ltd. Şti.? We map your headcount, timeline, and risk profile and give you a clear recommendation, not a product pitch.

Four ways to hire in Turkiye. Pick once, pick right.

Most businesses arrive having already decided, and often decided too quickly. Here is the honest version of each route. When one fits, the detailed guide is one click away.

Employer of Record

An EOR partner becomes the legal employer of your Turkish staff, handling the contract, payroll, SGK registration and contributions, and Labour Law No. 4857 compliance, while you direct the work. Operational in days, no entity needed. Best for testing the market or hiring a small team.

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Global Payroll

For when you already have a Turkish entity, or want to consolidate payroll across several countries. You stay the legal employer; a specialist partner runs the monthly SGK and income-tax withholding, and tracks the severance and notice liability building up on your books.

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Entity Formation (A.Ş. / Ltd. Şti.)

Your own Turkish company, most commonly an Anonim Şirket (A.Ş., joint-stock company) or a Limited Şirketi (Ltd. Şti., the simpler, lower-capital vehicle). Registered via MERSIS and the local Trade Registry. Full control and a local presence, but you carry the registration, capital, and ongoing filing obligations. Right when the headcount and permanence justify it.

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PEO Services

A co-employment model alongside your own Turkish entity. Useful for companies that want to retain more direct control than a full EOR handover, while a partner administers SGK, payroll, and statutory compliance. We will tell you honestly which model your situation calls for.

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Turkiye at a glance

Currency

Turkish lira (TRY). Salaries are set and paid in TRY; Turkiye’s double-digit inflation means last year’s budget figure is rarely this year’s real cost, so we recheck the current position before you commit.

Minimum wage (2026)

TRY 33,030 gross per month (TRY 28,075.50 net) for 2026, up 27% on 2025 and reset every January by the Minimum Wage Commission. One national rate, no regional variation, but expect another double-digit revision for 2027.

Employer costs

Employers pay a base SGK rate of 23.75% of gross salary (short-term, long-term, and general health insurance combined), reduced by a Treasury-funded incentive to roughly 21.75% for most employers or 18.75% for manufacturing, unemployment insurance already included.

Leave & Notice

Turkiye is not at-will: dismissal without a valid, written, justifiable reason exposes the employer to a reinstatement claim, statutory notice runs two to eight weeks by tenure, and severance pay of 30 days’ gross wage per year of service applies up to a Treasury-set ceiling revised twice a year. Statutory annual leave starts at 14 days, rising to 26 days after 15 years’ service.

Hiring in Turkiye: quick answers

The questions we are asked most about hiring in Turkiye.

What is the fastest way to hire someone in Turkiye?

An Employer of Record. Your hire can start in days, with a compliant Turkish employment contract and SGK registration from day one, and no entity to set up. It is the lowest-risk way to test the market or place a small team.

Do I need a Turkish entity to hire?

No. With an EOR you can employ people in Turkiye without your own company. You only need to incorporate an A.Ş. or Ltd. Şti. when you are committing to a permanent, larger presence, and we will tell you honestly when that point arrives.

Severance pay that accrues at 30 days’ gross wage per year of service up to a ceiling revised every six months, notice periods that scale from two to eight weeks by tenure, mandatory SGK registration and contributions, and a minimum wage that is reset every January by a double-digit percentage. None of it is a problem when a partner who already tracks the current figures is running it for you.

We are independent: we assess what you actually need, place you with the right vetted partner, secure pricing you will not get going direct, and stay on your side to escalate or renegotiate. You get advice, not a product pitch.

Let’s map your Turkiye hire.

Tell us who you want to hire and where you are headed in Turkiye. One conversation maps your options, flags the risks, and usually gets you to a better answer, and better pricing, than going direct. No pitch.

Tax and labour data verified July 2026 (SGK, GİB, Ministry of Labour and Social Security). Figures change, and Turkiye revises several of them more than once a year; we confirm the current position when we scope your hire.