Resignation

Resignation is the employee's voluntary termination of the employment contract. Under an open-ended contract the employee must observe the notice periods scaled by seniority; leaving without notice may expose the employee to a notice-pay claim by the employer.

An employee who resigns without just cause is in principle not entitled to severance pay or unemployment benefit. The position differs where the departure rests on a just cause such as unpaid wages: legally that is a just-cause termination by the employee, and severance entitlement is preserved.

The most frequent disputes arise from resignation letters signed under pressure or on blank sheets in advance. Where consent is vitiated in this way, Turkish courts may treat the termination as a dismissal by the employer despite the letter. Stating the real reason in the letter reduces later evidentiary problems.