Turkey
Turkey observes 9 federal public holidays anchored on both the Gregorian and Islamic lunar calendars. Republic Day (October 29) and Victory Day (August 30) are the principal civic-military observances; Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha generate the heaviest observance clusters. All federal holidays are paid days off for the country's 30M+ workforce under the Labour Act.
Federal public holidays (9)
- New Year's Day - January 1
- National Sovereignty and Children's Day - April 23
- Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day - May 19
- Democracy and National Unity Day - July 15
- Victory Day - August 30
- Republic Day - October 29
How the Turkish holiday calendar works
Turkey's federal holiday calendar is set by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and revised periodically. The 9 gazetted federal holidays include 5 days for the two Eids, plus 1 day each for the Gregorian-civic observances. The lunar dates shift earlier by 10-11 days each year. If a federal holiday falls on a weekend, the following Monday is typically designated as a substitute day off; in recent years the government has sometimes chosen to combine adjacent holidays into 4-5 day long weekends.
The cumulative federal total of 9 days (with the two Eids expanding to 7) plus the public-sector de facto observances produces an effective time-off envelope of 15-20 days per year. Banks, government offices, and most businesses close on federal holidays. Many employers add their own observance days for the Prophet's birthday and the Night of Power, though these are not gazetted.
Religious and secular composition
Turkey is approximately 97-99% Muslim (sunni majority of 80-85%, with a significant Alevi minority of 15-25%), with Christian, Jewish, and other minorities totalling less than 1% (Turkish Statistical Institute, TÜİK). The federal holiday calendar reflects this composition heavily: the two Islamic Eids are major observances with 3-4 days off each, while the Christian and Jewish communities observe their own holidays (Christmas, Easter, Passover, Yom Kippur) within their own community frameworks without federal gazette. The 5 Gregorian-civic days reflect the Republican-era founding history.
Peak months and observance patterns
The heaviest single cluster is Eid al-Fitr, which produces 3 days of federal holiday plus 1 half-day eve. The second cluster is Eid al-Adha with 4 days of federal holiday plus 1 half-day eve. The October cluster (Victory Day August 30 to Republic Day October 29) generates 2 single paid days off but produces substantial civic observance. April 23 (National Sovereignty and Children's Day) and May 19 (Commemoration of Atatürk) are single paid days that often fall into the same long-weekend window in late April / early May.
Where the holidays come from culturally
The Turkish holiday calendar reflects three historical layers. Layer 1 (pre-1923): Ottoman-era observances were based on the Islamic lunar calendar, with the two Eids and the Prophet's birthday as primary observances. Layer 2 (1923-1980): the early Republican period added the Gregorian-civic holidays (Republic Day, Victory Day, National Sovereignty Day, Commemoration of Atatürk) and consolidated the Islamic holidays. Layer 3 (1980-present): the post-1980 framework added July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day in 2016, marking the failed 2016 coup attempt. The pattern is Republican-civic primary with Islamic overlay.
Work and pay rules
Under the Labour Act (İş Kanunu), federal employees and private-sector workers receive paid time off for the 9 gazetted federal holidays. Working on a federal holiday requires 200% of the regular daily rate. The 9-15 day federal calendar is supplemented by 14 days of paid annual leave (after 1 year of service, scaling to 26 days after 15 years), plus the de facto cluster-closure practices around the two Eids, producing a typical time-off envelope of 25-35 days per year.
Comparison with neighboring countries
Compared with Greece's 12-14 public holidays, Turkey has fewer. Compared with Bulgaria's 12-14, Turkey has fewer. Compared with Iran's 22+ (under the Islamic Republic framework), Turkey has significantly fewer religious-observance days. Compared with Egypt's 13 public holidays, Turkey has similar. The most distinctive Turkish feature is the density of the late-October cluster (Victory Day August 30 and Republic Day October 29), which anchors the civic military calendar.
Calendar cycles 2026-2028
The 5 Gregorian-civic federal holidays are fixed-date. The two Eids shift earlier by 10-11 days each year. In 2026, Eid al-Fitr is around March 20-22, and Eid al-Adha is around May 27-30. In 2027, Eid al-Fitr is around March 9-11, and Eid al-Adha is around May 16-19. In 2028, Eid al-Fitr is around February 26-28, and Eid al-Adha is around May 5-8. The Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı (Presidency of Religious Affairs) confirms the exact dates 1-2 weeks in advance of each lunar holiday based on moon-sighting announcements.
Major holiday briefs on this page
Each of the holidays discussed on this regional overview has a full standalone brief covering its origins, observance practices, and modern controversy:
- New Year's Day - January 1
- Victory Day - August 30
- Republic Day - October 29
- Eid al-Fitr
- Eid al-Adha
- Mawlid
- Labour Day - May 1