New maternity leave applications have begun: Those who miss the deadline will not be able to benefit

With the new regulation, the duration of maternity leave has been reorganized. Accordingly, the leave period has been set at a total of 24 weeks, consisting of 8 weeks before birth and 16 weeks after birth.

The leave period has also been extended for multiple pregnancies. For mothers expecting twins or more, the total leave period has been increased to 26 weeks.

Additionally, the period during which one can continue to work with a doctor's report has been changed. While it was previously possible to work until the last 3 weeks before birth, this period has been reduced to 2 weeks. Thus, 1 more week has been added to the time that can be used after birth.

APPLICATION PERIOD IS LIMITED

The application process for mothers wishing to benefit from the additional leave right has been tied to a specific schedule. Applications, which began as of May 4, 2026, must be completed by the end of the workday on Friday, May 15. Failure to apply within a total of 10 business days may result in a loss of rights.

SCOPE DETERMINED BY DATE OF BIRTH

A criterion regarding the date of birth has been introduced to benefit from the additional 8-week leave. Accordingly, mothers who gave birth after October 16, 2025, will be able to benefit from the regulation.

According to the established calculation, 168 days will be taken as the basis counting backward from April 1, 2026. While those who gave birth within this period are included in the scope, those who gave birth on or before October 15, 2025, remain outside the regulation.

On the other hand, even if their maternity leave has ended, mothers who have not completed their 24-week period as of April 1, 2026, will be able to benefit from the additional leave by applying.

PAYMENT AMOUNTS UPDATED

Temporary incapacity payments made by the Social Security Institution (SGK) will also be recalculated based on the new durations.

Payments to be made to salaried working mothers will be calculated over 168 days instead of 120 days. The lowest payment has been set at 123 thousand 312 TL. Those with a gross salary of 35 thousand TL will receive 130 thousand 667 TL, while those with 50 thousand TL will receive 186 thousand 667 TL.

Civil servant mothers will continue to receive their full salaries during the leave period. A civil servant who has just given birth will receive a total of 247 thousand 560 TL.

The report periods of mothers currently on maternity leave will be automatically updated through the system.

BIRTH ALLOWANCES AND LEAVE USAGE

Within the scope of birth allowances, a one-time payment of 5 thousand TL will be made for the first child, 1,500 TL per month for the second child, and 5 thousand TL per month for the third and subsequent children. These supports will continue until the child reaches the age of 5.

According to the data, only 24.22 percent of working women are able to use unpaid maternity leave.

News Source: 12punto