Turkey's Health Ministry extends pregnancy leave by two months

Turkey's Health Ministry extended the legally required time for pregnancy leave by two months. "Everything else must stop if there's a baby to be welcomed to the world, or everything else should be done by someone else," Minister Koca said in his announcement.

Duvar English

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on June 2 that the legally permitted leave for pregnant women had been extended by eight weeks to start on the 24th week of pregnancy.

"Everything else must stop if there's a baby to be welcomed to the world, or everything else should be done by someone else," Minister Koca said in his announcement.

Women were previously only allowed 16 weeks off for pregnancy and birth. The leave was used in during the last two months of pregnancy and the first two months after birth.

Although Turkish law doesn't mandate time off for new fathers, certain companies in Turkey have recently been allowing men time off before and after the arrival of a new child.

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