Many civil servants lack full information about the “excuse leave” (mazeret izni) provided under Law No. 657 on civil servants. What exactly is this leave? What does Article 657 say about excuse leave, and under which conditions can a civil servant benefit from it?
Excuse leave is regulated in Article 104 of Law No. 657. According to this provision, leave must be granted for reasons such as birth, death, having children, and marriage when requested by the civil servant. For requests based on other reasons, granting leave is left to the discretion of the administration.
1- Maternity (Birth) Leave: A female civil servant is entitled to leave starting eight weeks before and continuing eight weeks after childbirth. In cases of multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets), an additional two weeks of leave is granted. If the female civil servant wishes to continue working and provides a doctor’s report, she may work until three weeks remain before the expected birth date. A civil servant whose spouse gives birth is entitled to 10 days of leave.
2- Bereavement Leave: If the civil servant or the civil servant’s spouse loses a child, or if the civil servant or the civil servant’s spouse loses a parent or sibling, the civil servant may be granted seven days of leave upon request. Excuse leave is not granted by the administration ex officio; it requires the civil servant’s request.
3- Marriage Leave: When the civil servant or the civil servant’s child marries, the civil servant may be granted seven days of excuse leave upon request.
4- Nursing (Child Care) Leave: A female civil servant with a child is entitled to nursing leave after the end of maternity leave. During the first six months she is entitled to three hours per day, and during the following six months to one and a half hours per day for breastfeeding. If the mother dies during or after childbirth, the breastfeeding leave period may be transferred to the father upon request.
Aside from the reasons listed above, any other request for excuse leave is subject to the administration’s decision. Authorities empowered to grant such leave are: the governor in provinces, the district governor in districts, the appointing authority at the central level, and the head of the diplomatic mission abroad. Decisions are made after obtaining the opinion of the unit supervisor. If the request is approved, excuse leave of up to 10 days may be granted. After this 10-day period, a further leave request may be granted at the administration’s discretion, except for teachers. Teacher leave requests are handled differently from other civil servants.