Many civil servants work in the public sector in our country. Sometimes these employees wish to work in a different location for a period of time. For such situations, the state grants civil servants the right to exchange positions, known as “becayiş.” To benefit from this right, it is important to meet the applicable becayiş conditions. Becayiş regulates working arrangements for civil servants and can increase employee satisfaction and productivity.
Becayiş is essentially defined as a mutual exchange of positions. It occurs through reciprocal agreement between two employees. Thanks to becayiş, two civil servants serving in different cities can exchange their posts. Article 657 of the civil service law explains becayiş as follows: civil servants of the same class within the same institution who are located in different places may request to be appointed by way of mutual exchange; fulfillment of this request depends on the approval of the appointing authority. According to this definition, becayiş applies within the same institution.
Certain conditions must be met to carry out a becayiş. The main requirements are as follows:
- The exchange must be between two civil servants.
- Becayiş applies to employees working within the same institution; requests cannot be made between different institutions.
- Within the same institution, civil servants working in different units can agree to exchange positions mutually.
- The civil servants involved in the exchange must hold the same class and title. The term “class” refers to the service classes listed in Article 657. For example, engineers may only exchange with other engineers, architects with architects. A civil servant in the General Administrative Services class cannot exchange with one in the Technical Services class.
- For a mutual exchange to take effect, the appointing authority must approve the transfer. The exchange request is submitted to the institution’s presidency. Although petitions are forwarded to the presidency, employees must first submit their requests to their directorates. In short, applications cannot be sent directly to headquarters at the outset. If someone applies directly to the center first, it may be treated as a disciplinary offense.
The method of applying for becayiş is also important. Civil servants who wish to exchange positions should submit a petition to the unit where they currently work. The petitions given to the directorates are then forwarded to the appointing authority of the employee’s institution, which is often located in the capital.
The exchange will only occur with the approval of the appointing authority. If this approval is not granted, the exchange does not take place and the request is rejected. In practice, however, becayiş requests are usually approved when both applicants hold the same class and title.
When considered objectively, becayiş does not cause public loss and generally serves public interest. Because it often improves working conditions and employee satisfaction, many exchange requests are favorably received by administrations.
Applications from civil servants subject to compulsory service are handled carefully. If a civil servant who is subject to compulsory service wishes to request a becayiş, the receiving location must also fall within the compulsory service scheme. If this requirement is not met, the exchange request will be denied.
The right to exchange positions is not limited to permanent civil servants; contract staff employed against a funded position may also request becayiş if they meet the conditions. However, workers classified under labor law rather than the civil service law are not eligible for becayiş under Article 657.
Below is a sample petition that civil servants may complete when applying for a becayiş:
DATE:
POSITION :
TITLE :
FULL NAME :
FATHER’S NAME :
PLACE OF BIRTH :
DATE OF BIRTH :
START DATE OF CIVIL SERVICE :
PERSONNEL ID NO :
SUBJECT: Mutual exchange request in accordance with Article 73
………………….. (Title of the Authority to Whom the Petition Will Be Submitted)
We request to mutually exchange positions with …….., who serves in our institution in the province of …….. (if applicable, district of ……..), in the …….. class and holding the title of …….., in accordance with Article 73 of Law No. 657.
I respectfully request that the necessary action be taken.
Date
Full Name
Signature