Turkish labour law provides a number of protections to employees, governed by the Labor Code, Trade Union Law, and the Constitution. Terms of employment in Turkey are mainly governed by the Labor Law and Trade Union Law.

Employment contracts are exempt from stamp tax and any type of duties and fees. Any kind of discrimination among employees with respect to language, race, gender, political opinion, philosophical approach, religion or similar criteria is prohibited by law. Discrimination based on the gender of an employee is prohibited when determining the amount of remuneration for employees working in the same or equivalent jobs.

Labor unions are legal in Turkey, and have been present since 1947. The Constitution of Turkey affirms the right of workers to form unions "without obtaining permission" and "to possess the right to become a member of a union and to freely withdraw from membership" (Article 51). Articles 53 and 54 affirm the right of workers to engage in collective bargaining and to strike, respectively. However, Turkish unions do face certain restrictions. A union must represent at least 10% of Turkish employees to be recognized as a bargaining agent, and workers in the education, national defense, sanitation, and utilities industries are banned from striking.