Dismissed from Work in Turkey: Reinstatement, Deadlines and First Steps

Losing your job involves more than calculating your final salary and compensation. If you want to return to work, the first questions are when the dismissal was notified and whether you qualify for job-security protection. An employer’s suggestion to “settle the accounts first and discuss it later” does not suspend the short application period. This guide primarily concerns private-sector employees covered by Turkish Labour Law No. 4857. Civil servants and employees subject to special legislation may face different rules.

Which documents should you preserve immediately?

Keep the dismissal notice, its envelope or electronic delivery record, your employment contract, recent payslips and the SGK termination record together. If you were told verbally, record the date, who was present and the reason given. Being denied workplace access, losing access to a corporate account or being removed from the rota may also matter when establishing the dismissal date. Do not miss a deadline while waiting for a written document.

Record the notification date separately from your last actual working day.
Preserve performance reviews, requests for your defence and your responses.
Identify lawfully accessible records showing your role and employees in comparable positions.
If asked to sign a resignation, mutual termination agreement or statement that all entitlements have been received, obtain a copy and have its contents reviewed.

Can every dismissed employee seek reinstatement?

The general requirements include an indefinite-term contract, at least thirty employees and at least six months’ service. The six-month service requirement does not apply to employees working underground. When counting employees, workplaces belonging to the same employer in the same line of business may need to be considered together; the headcount at your branch alone is not decisive. Service at different workplaces of the same employer also matters. Certain senior employer representatives are excluded, but the title “manager” alone does not establish that exclusion.

Calling a contract “fixed-term” does not end the inquiry: the objective conditions required for that form of contract must be examined. Employees outside job-security protection may still have claims for unpaid wages, unused annual leave, severance or notice pay. Being ineligible for reinstatement does not eliminate all employment rights.

One month and two weeks: two separate deadlines

Under Article 20 of Law No. 4857, an employee must apply for mediation seeking reinstatement within one month of notification of dismissal. Do not automatically treat one month as thirty days. A notice period does not necessarily mean that time starts running on the last working day. If the notification date is disputed, prompt assessment using the earliest possible date helps reduce the risk of missing the deadline.

If mediation ends without agreement, a claim must be brought before the labour court within two weeks of the date the final mediation record is drawn up. An objection to the employer, waiting for HR or complaining to ALO 170 does not replace these procedures. The mediation application should expressly include reinstatement, with any compensation and monetary claims identified within their respective scope.

Is “poor performance” or “downsizing” sufficient?

The employer bears the burden of proving a valid reason for dismissal. Performance cases require examination of previously communicated criteria, the assessment period, treatment of comparable employees and, where required, the opportunity to respond. In operational dismissals, the reality and consistent implementation of the business decision are investigated. Not every dismissal requires identical documents, and a brief explanation does not itself establish a valid reason. An employee alleging a different underlying reason must support that allegation with facts.

Winning the case still requires further action

An employee must apply to the employer to resume work within ten working days after service of the final judgment. The application must reflect a genuine intention to return, and delivery should be provable. The employer has one month following the application to reinstate the employee. If reinstatement does not occur, court-determined compensation of four to eight months’ wages may become payable, together with up to four months’ wages and other entitlements for the non-working period, subject to statutory conditions. This is not an automatic award of “twelve months’ salary” in every case.

What should you check in a mediation offer?

Identify which claims the offer settles, whether amounts are gross or net, payment dates and instalment conditions. If reinstatement is agreed, the starting date, entitlements for the non-working period and the amount payable if the employee is not reinstated must be specified within the statutory framework. Focusing only on the total amount may lead to unintentionally giving up a separate claim.

Frequently asked questions

I received severance or notice pay. Does that end my reinstatement claim?

Receiving a payment is not the same as validly waiving reinstatement rights. The agreement signed, the manner of termination and the relevant deadlines must be examined together.

Does the SGK termination code bind the court?

The code is a relevant record, but it does not alone establish the true reason for dismissal. Correspondence, the dismissal notice and other evidence are assessed together.

What if the employer invites me back?

Do not leave the invitation unanswered. Have the role, salary, workplace and starting conditions assessed to determine whether it is a genuine reinstatement offer. Keep records of delivery and your response.

LEGAL ASSESSMENT

Let us assess your dismissal and application deadlines

Reinstatement requirements under Turkish law, the one-month mediation deadline, essential dismissal documents and steps after a final judgment.

Open the contact form

For initial contact, a brief account of the events and key dates is sufficient. Send documents only at our lawyers’ request through the channel we specify. Do not share passwords or one-time codes.

Related guides

Official sources

Updated: 21 October 2026. This article provides general information on Turkish law and is not a substitute for an assessment of your individual circumstances. Application and litigation deadlines must be checked for each case. The image is illustrative.