Article
9 min read
How to Hire Using an Employer of Record in Turkey (2025 Edition)
Employer of record
Author
Ellie Merryweather
Last Update
June 27, 2025
Table of Contents
What is a Turkish Employer of Record?
Top reasons to use EOR services in Turkey
How to hire in Turkey with an EOR: Step-by-step guide
Employment Compliance Tasks an Employer of Record Manages in Turkey
Which Turkey EOR Service Should You Choose?
How Much Does It Cost to Hire Through an Employer of Record in Turkey?
Is Deel Employer of Record a Strong Choice for Hiring in Turkey?
Hire employees in Turkey seamlessly with Deel Employer of Record
- Setting up a Turkish entity to hire local talent can take months and could cost up to TRY 1,299,967 in legal, tax, and payroll setup.
- A Turkey Employer of Record covers social security, taxes, contracts, and data protection under Turkish labor laws, ensuring full compliance without the headache.
- Deel EOR owns its Turkish entity for full control, supports hiring in 150+ countries, delivers transparent pricing, real-time compliance monitoring, and has top G2 ratings.
Employers eye Turkey for its deep tech talent, strategic logistics hub, and gateway position between Europe and the Middle East. Yet the same location advantage comes with a thicket of local regulations—written employment contracts must be issued on day one, social security contributions, and payroll must withhold progressive income tax. Add in data protection laws, and you have plenty of red tape before the first line of code ships.
Using an Employer of Record (EOR) service in Turkey cuts through that tape. Instead of setting up a legal entity in Istanbul or Ankara, you can hire local employees legally through a licensed Turkish entity that already meets every labor law, social security, and data protection requirement. Deel’s Turkey EOR services pair that legal infrastructure with an all-in-one platform: automated employment contracts, real-time compliance alerts, and payroll. The result: you focus on building your global team while Deel shoulders the paperwork and liability.
What is a Turkish Employer of Record?
A Turkish Employer of Record (EOR) is a locally incorporated company that hires staff on your behalf, serving as the legal employer in Turkey. Operationally, the worker reports to your managers, uses your systems, and follows your culture. Legally, the EOR:
- Becomes the employee’s official employer registered with the Social Security Institution (SGK)
- Drafts and signs compliant Turkish-language employment contracts
- Files, withholds, and remits payroll tax and social security contributions
- Maintains statutory records
- Assumes primary liability for wrongful termination, wage underpayment, or misclassification claims
Deel operates its own wholly owned entity in Turkey, providing direct compliance with Turkish labor law and eliminating third-party risks. The Deel Compliance Hub monitors every worker against shifting SGK (Social Security Institution) reimbursement rules, KVKK (Personal Data Protection Authority) consent requirements, and leave entitlements, pinging you when thresholds or laws change.
Top reasons to use EOR services in Turkey
Launching a local entity seems simple until costs, timelines, and board approvals pile up. Working with an Employer of Record in Turkey saves time, costs, and headaches:
- Fast market entry: Hire local employees in as little as 1-3 business days instead of weeks
- Lower upfront spend: Skip notary, capital deposit, and accounting retainers
- Social security handled: The EOR manages all employer social security contributions and unemployment insurance, ensuring you never miss a compliance deadline
- Misclassification protection: An EOR eliminates worker misclassification risk, potentially saving you from costly fines in the thousands
- KVKK compliance baked in: Deel covers mandatory employee consent forms and cross-border transfer clauses
- Local perks without the admin: Auto-enroll each hire into the private pension scheme and offer supplemental benefits through Deel’s marketplace
- Scaling flexibility: Ramp headcount up or down without maintaining a dormant entity when project cycles shift
Deel Employer of Record
How to hire in Turkey with an EOR: Step-by-step guide
Use this 8-step checklist to accelerate your market entry, reduce setup costs, and guarantee compliance with social contributions.
1. Choose an EOR with a wholly-owned Turkish entity
Start by confirming the EOR actually owns—rather than leases—its Turkish entity. Entity ownership guarantees direct responsibility for SGK audits and labor inspections. Deel’s Turkish entity files its own corporate tax returns and holds active social security registration numbers, eliminating reliance on opaque local agents.
Tip: Ask for the EOR’s Turkish trade registry number during diligence.
2. Book a demo and verify social proof
A live platform walk-through demonstrates whether contract templates, leave workflows, and payslip formats match Turkish law. Check case studies and client testimonials for EOR services in Turkey, and Scan reviews on G2 and Trustpilot, where Deel EOR holds a 4.8/5 average.
3. Request a transparent EOR quote
Obtain a detailed quote including gross salary, statutory social costs, income tax withholding, and the EOR’s flat fee. Deel’s transparent pricing avoids hidden markups on benefits or filings.
Tip: Compare costs before you expand—read our article EOR vs. Entity Costs: What’s More Affordable?
4. Submit a 12–24-month hiring plan
Share headcount forecasts, seniority mix, and locations. Deel’s Workforce Planning dashboard uses real-time wage data to flag when additional payroll withholding thresholds will hit—protecting you from mid-year tax surprises.
Tip: Update your plan quarterly to reflect hiring or regulatory changes.
5. Create the employment contract in the platform
Use the EOR’s contract generator to draft agreements compliant with Turkish probation rules and notice periods. Deel’s templates auto-populate salary, employee benefits, and data protection clauses.
Tip: Customize probation durations within legal limits for flexibility.
6. Confirm the candidate's right to work
Verify IDs, work permit status, and Turkish residency before issuing an offer. Deel Immigration supports visa and work permit applications to speed up onboarding.
Tip: Store digital copies of work authorizations in the platform for audit readiness.
7. Run the onboarding workflow
With Deel EOR, every onboarding is adapted to local labor laws, supported by a dedicated onboarding manager. Within the platform, new hires can seamlessly verify identities and work-permit status, complete compliance documents and payroll information, and review and sign employment agreements.
Tip: Automate reminders for benefit opt-in deadlines to maximize employee satisfaction.
8. Maintain ongoing compliance
Monthly, Deel auto-calculates PAYE, SGK, and voluntary benefit deductions, files e-ledgers, and emails itemized payslips. Deel Compliance Hub alerts you to law changes, tracks filings, and flags discrepancies before they become issues.
Tip: Use Deel Compensation benchmarking to stay ahead of inflation-linked pay hikes, common in the Turkish market.
Continuous Compliance™
Employment Compliance Tasks an Employer of Record Manages in Turkey
Your EOR takes on key employer obligations, ensuring you meet all statutory requirements.
| Category | Key Requirements (2025) |
|---|---|
| Statutory Employer Costs | Employers contribute roughly 18.75% of the employee’s salary. |
| Employment Contracts & Probation Rules | Written contracts must be provided on or before day 1 and stored for 10 years. Probation is usually 56 days, which is also the legal maximum. Notice during probation is 0-day; post-probation ranges from 2 to 8 weeks depending on tenure. |
| Pay and Working Hours | Standard workweek: 40 hours, Monday through Friday, though it is common practice for employees to request a workweek of 37.5 hours. Work above this triggers overtime at 1.5× wage; holiday overtime at 2×. TRY 26,005.50 per month minimum wage for full-time employees gross, |
| Payroll & PAYE Compliance | Payroll must withhold income tax. Payslips must itemize gross, deductions, and net in TRY and be accessible digitally. GDPR-style data safeguards under KVKK apply. |
| Vacation and Public Holiday Allowances | Leave accrues after one year of service: minimum 14 days. Turkey observes 15 paid public holidays including Republic Day and Eid breaks, plus two half days surrounding public holidays. Unused leave must be paid out at termination. |
| Income Taxes | Progressive brackets for 2025: 0–110,000 TRY at 15%; up to 230,000 TRY at 20%; up to 580,000 TRY at 27%; up to 3,000,000 TRY at 35%; excess at 40%. Employer withholds taxes. |
| Expenses, Allowances, and Bonuses | Expenses may be claimed as non taxable if submitted with the appropriate documentation. Meal cards up to 170 TRY/day are exempt from income tax. Transport, remote-work internet, and per-diem allowances have specific ceilings. Cash bonuses are fully taxable as regular income. |
| Statutory Benefits & Pension Requirements | Auto-enrolment into the Private Pension System (BES) applies to employees under 45. Employer contributions must equal at least 3% of earnings. |
| Maternity & Paternity Leave | Maternity leave 16 weeks paid (8 pre-, 8 post-natal) funded by SGK at 100% of the regular salary. Paternity leave 5 days, funded y SGK at 100% of the regular salary. |
| Sick Leave, Bereavement Leave, and Carer’s Leave | Sick leave: unlimited for all employees, funded by the employer for the first 7 days, and then by social security. Bereavement: 3 days for spouses or close relatives. Employees with disabled children receive 10 days paid carer leave annually. |
| Terminations/Dismissals, Redundancy, Severance, and Resignations | Valid reasons: performance, conduct, redundancy. Notice: 2-8 weeks. Severance equals 30 days’ gross salary per service year; cap 41,000 TRY/month for 2025. Mass redundancies (>10% workforce) require 30-day labor-authority notice. Employees may challenge for unfair dismissal within 30 days at mediation. |
| Health & Safety | Employers must conduct annual risk assessments, appoint a certified safety specialist, and report incidents within 3 days. Remote employees still fall under ergonomic and equipment-safety obligations. |
| Misclassification Risk | Local regulators and courts take a strict approach against misclassification. Employers risk significant legal and financial penalties, including liability for back wages, overtime pay, vacation pay, and other benefits. Using Deel EOR classifies the worker properly as an employee, nullifying risk. |
| Data & IP Protection | Employers must comply with KVKK, Personal Data Protection Authority. |
Discover how Responsible Cyber manages its international team with Deel
Responsible Cyber carefully reviewed +10 platforms in search of a solution that aligned perfectly with its values and requirements.
Deel was chosen for its high level of international security standards and its customer service. Beyond the platform's robust technical merits, it was Deel's exemplary and personalized account management that further cemented the decision.
"I particularly like that Deel is our HR one-stop shop for direct and EOR employees without differentiation. We also use Deel across the business, which means we do not need to use or maintain two different platforms or services while integrating our international employees.
Deel offers valuable features like vacation and leave submission with a consistent feel and experience for all."
-- Dr. Magda Chelly, Co-Founder & Managing Director at Responsible Cyber
Which Turkey EOR Service Should You Choose?
Not all Employer of Record services in Turkey operate at the same level of compliance. Evaluate vendors on four fronts:
- Wholly-owned local entity: Maintain control over costs and compliance, and mitigate risk by removing middlemen
- Compliance expertise: In-country legal, payroll, and HR experts, as wel as real-time compliance monitoring. Deel’s Compliance Hub alerts you to every legislative change impacting your workforce
- Platform breadth: User-friendly platform covering contract generation, payroll, benefits, mobility, and engagement
- Global coverage: If Turkey is just one stop on your roadmap, choose an EOR with maximum global coverage. Deel covers 150+ countries with unified invoicing.
With Deel as a partner, benefit from a balance between local strength and global capabilities to scale while staying audit-proof.
Hiring globally is complex, but Deel makes compliance seamless—even as regulations change across countries like Spain, South Africa and Turkey
—Floor van Haaren,
Co-Founder, Cocoroco.com
Discover how Cocoroco.com leveraged Deel EOR to scale its global talent marketplace.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire Through an Employer of Record in Turkey?
Employer statutory costs typically amount to 18.75% of gross salary, covering social security, minimum pension plan contributions, and insurance. Deel’s flat fee covers compliance monitoring, payroll runs, and access to our global platform, with no hidden markups.
| Factor | Your Own Turkey Entity | Deel EOR |
|---|---|---|
| One-off setup costs (legal, notary, capital deposit) | TRY 1,299,967 | TRY 0 |
| Ongoing annual costs (accounting, payroll software, statutory audit) | TRY 1,687,861 | Included in fee |
| EOR annual management fee (per worker) | N/A | TRY 285,938 / Worker |
| Liability for fines & audits | You carry 100% | Shifted to Deel |
| Time to first hire | 2–3 weeks | 1 business day |
| Estimated total annual cost* | TRY 2,987,829 | TRY 285,938 |
Is Deel Employer of Record a Strong Choice for Hiring in Turkey?
Yes, Deel is a top-tier Employer of Record in Turkey for companies looking to hire local employees and build a compliant global team. Deel owns its Turkish entity outright, offering unmatched compliance and peace of mind—no local agents, no legal gray areas. Deel stands out for speed, transparency, and global expertise.
- Wholly-owned Turkish entity: Direct compliance with Turkish labor, tax, and KVKK data laws
- Hire in days: Skip 6–12 months of entity setup and start onboarding fast
- Transparent pricing: One flat monthly fee; SGK social security contributions, and all payroll taxes included. No hidden costs.
- G2 leader: High user satisfaction and market presence among all EOR providers.
- 150+ countries: Hire, pay, and manage top talent globally from a single platform.
- Real-time compliance: Deel Compliance Hub monitors Turkish regulations and alerts you instantly.
- AI-driven workforce planning: Forecast, benchmark, and control costs with built-in analytics.
- Comprehensive benefits: Auto-enroll in Turkey’s private pension (BES), manage mandatory employee benefits, and offer supplemental perks.
- IP & data protection: KVKK-compliant employment contracts and IP Guard for invention assignment.
- Global payroll: Pay in TRY or any currency, with localized payslips and support.
With Deel, you can focus on scaling your team in Turkey while we handle every compliance detail.
Hire employees in Turkey seamlessly with Deel Employer of Record
Ready to hire top talent in Turkey without the time and expense of setting up a legal entity? Deel lets you onboard employees in days, not months, while our wholly-owned Turkish entity shields you from compliance risks, payroll tax errors, and misclassification penalties. Our transparent pricing means you always know exactly what you’ll pay—no surprise fees or hidden costs.
Book a Deel demo today to see how you can start hiring in Turkey and 150+ countries with one platform. You’ll unlock fast, compliant onboarding, real-time legal updates, and a single invoice that covers salary, taxes, and benefits. Let Deel handle the local red tape so you can focus on growth.
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FAQs
How fast can I hire an employee in Turkey with Deel?
Deel can onboard new hires in Turkey in as little as 3–5 business days, compared to 20+ weeks for entity setup.
Do employees need a Turkish bank account for payroll?
No—Deel can pay employees in TRY to Turkish bank accounts or in other currencies to international accounts, depending on the worker’s preference.
What type of employment contract does Deel use in Turkey?
All employees receive a compliant Turkish-language written contract, including mandatory clauses on role, salary, leave, and probation in line with Turkish labor law.
Is there a probation period for new hires?
Yes, Turkey allows up to two months' probation, which Deel includes in the employment contract per local law.
Who withholds and remits taxes and social security?
Deel, as the legal employer, handles all payroll tax withholding and pays the employer’s share of social security contributions and unemployment insurance.
When will employees be paid, and are there payroll deadlines?
Salaries are paid monthly, and payroll taxes must be remitted by the 26th of the following month; Deel manages all deadlines and filings.
Do Deel employees in Turkey get statutory benefits?
Yes, Deel auto-enrolls eligible hires into Turkey’s private pension (BES), manages all required leave, and can offer additional benefits via the platform.
How does sick leave work for EOR employees?
The first two days are unpaid; from day three, sick leave is paid by Turkey’s Social Security Institution (SGK). Deel files all required documentation.
What data protection measures does Deel use in Turkey?
Deel’s contracts and platform comply with KVKK, including explicit employee consent for data processing and secure, GDPR-style data handling.
What happens if I need to terminate an employee?
Deel manages compliant terminations, notice periods, and severance pay as required by Turkish law, minimizing the risk of disputes or fines.
About the author
Ellie Merryweather is a content marketing manager with a decade of experience in tech, leadership, startups, and the creative industries. A long-time remote worker, she's passionate about WFH productivity hacks and fostering company culture across globally distributed teams.
