Turkey Public Holidays 2027: Full Calendar and Bridge Days
Of the 15.5 days of public holiday in Turkish law, only 12 fall on weekdays in 2027: 19 May coincides with Eid al-Adha and 1 May lands on a Saturday. We checked the full calendar against Diyanet, Law No. 2429 and the Ministry of National Education, and set out the bridge days and the status of administrative leave in one guide.
According to the 2027 official holiday table published by Diyanet, Türkiye's Presidency of Religious Affairs, the public holidays are Friday 1 January, the afternoon of 8 March to 11 March (Ramazan Bayramı, Eid al-Fitr), Friday 23 April, Saturday 1 May, the afternoon of 15 May to 19 May (Kurban Bayramı, Eid al-Adha), Thursday 15 July, Monday 30 August, and the afternoon of 28 October to Friday 29 October. Because 19 May falls on the fourth day of Eid al-Adha and three holiday days land on weekends, the holidays that fall on weekdays add up to 12 working days. With a total of 5 days of annual leave (the mornings of 8 March and 28 October, plus 12 March, 20–21 May and 16 July) you can have 35 days off. As of 30 October 2026, no administrative leave has been announced for 2027.
Which days are public holidays in Turkey in 2027?
Turkey's public holidays in 2027 are Friday 1 January, the afternoon of 8 March to 11 March (Eid al-Fitr), Friday 23 April, Saturday 1 May, the afternoon of 15 May to 19 May (Eid al-Adha), Thursday 15 July, Monday 30 August, and the afternoon of 28 October to Friday 29 October. We took the dates from the 2027 Official Holidays table published by Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı (Türkiye's Presidency of Religious Affairs) and calculated separately which day of the week each date falls on.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | Friday | New Year's Day | 1 day |
| 8 March 2027 | Monday | Eve of Eid al-Fitr (Ramazan Bayramı arefesi) | Half day (from 13:00) |
| 9–11 March 2027 | Tuesday–Thursday | Eid al-Fitr (Ramazan Bayramı) | 3 days |
| 23 April 2027 | Friday | National Sovereignty and Children's Day | 1 day |
| 1 May 2027 | Saturday | Labour and Solidarity Day | 1 day (weekend) |
| 15 May 2027 | Saturday | Eve of Eid al-Adha (Kurban Bayramı arefesi) | Half day (weekend) |
| 16–19 May 2027 | Sunday–Wednesday | Eid al-Adha (Kurban Bayramı) | 4 days |
| 19 May 2027 | Wednesday | Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day | Same day as the 4th day of Eid al-Adha |
| 15 July 2027 | Thursday | Democracy and National Unity Day | 1 day |
| 30 August 2027 | Monday | Victory Day | 1 day |
| 28 October 2027 | Thursday | Eve of Republic Day | Half day (from 13:00) |
| 29 October 2027 | Friday | Republic Day | 1 day |
The law spells out why the eves count as half days. Article 2 of Law No. 2429 on National Holidays and General Public Holidays says of Eid al-Fitr:
"Ramazan Bayramı; Arefe günü saat 13.00'ten itibaren 3,5 gündür."
("Ramazan Bayramı is 3.5 days, starting from 13:00 on the eve.")
— Law No. 2429, Article 2 (Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi, the official legislation database)
The same article defines Eid al-Adha as 4.5 days from 13:00 on the eve. For Republic Day, Article 1 of the law says the holiday begins at 13:00 on 28 October. The religious holiday dates also match Diyanet's 2027 list of religious days: Ramadan begins on Monday 8 February 2027, the eve of Eid al-Fitr is 8 March, and the eve of Eid al-Adha is 15 May.
How many days off are there in 2027?
The legal total is 15.5 days, but in 2027 only 12 of them fall on weekdays. Here is the calculation:
- 19 May overlaps. Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day falls on the same day as the fourth day of Eid al-Adha, which leaves 14.5 days on the calendar.
- Three holiday days fall at the weekend. 1 May (Saturday), the eve of Eid al-Adha (Saturday 15 May) and the first day of Eid al-Adha (Sunday 16 May) are weekend days.
- The result. For someone working Monday to Friday, that leaves 11 full days and 2 half days (the afternoons of 8 March and 28 October): 12 working days of holiday.
Law No. 2429 has no provision for moving a holiday that falls at the weekend to another day, so 1 May landing on a Saturday means one day lost. One note for the end of the year: Friday 31 December 2027 is a normal working day, and 1 January 2028 falls on a Saturday.
2027 bridge days: how far can each holiday be stretched?
With a total of 5 days of annual leave you can have 35 days off in 2027: the morning of 8 March and 12 March, 20–21 May, 16 July and the morning of 28 October. If you cannot take half-day leave, count 8 March and 28 October as full days; you will then need 6 days of leave. A köprü günü, or "bridge day", is a working day squeezed between a holiday and a weekend. The table is for someone who works Monday to Friday.
| Holiday | Date and day | Without leave | Bridge suggestion | Total with leave |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 January, Friday | 3 days (1–3 January) | Not needed; take Thursday 31 December 2026 for 4 days | 3–4 days |
| Eid al-Fitr | 8 March Monday (half), 9–11 March Tuesday–Thursday | 3.5 days (8 March 13:00 to 11 March) | Morning of 8 March and Friday 12 March | 6–14 March, 9 days |
| 23 April | Friday | 3 days (23–25 April) | Not needed | 3 days |
| 1 May | Saturday | No extra day | No bridge | — |
| Eid al-Adha | 15 May Saturday (half), 16–19 May Sunday–Wednesday | 5 days (15–19 May) | 20–21 May, Thursday–Friday | 15–23 May, 9 days |
| 15 July | Thursday | 1 day | Friday 16 July | 15–18 July, 4 days |
| 30 August | Monday | 3 days (28–30 August) | Not needed | 3 days |
| Republic Day | 28 October Thursday (half), 29 October Friday | 3.5 days (28 October 13:00 to 31 October) | Morning of 28 October | 28–31 October, 4 days |
Two points to watch when planning leave:
- For Eid al-Fitr, taking only 12 March off does not give you 9 days. The morning of Monday 8 March is also working time. For an unbroken break from 6 to 14 March you also need to cover the morning of 8 March with leave; if you only take 12 March off, your holiday begins at 13:00 on 8 March and runs to 14 March, 6.5 days.
- In the private sector, splitting leave depends on agreement. Under Article 56 of Labour Law No. 4857, annual leave cannot be split by the employer; it can be used in parts by agreement between the parties, but one of the parts must be at least 10 days. The same article says that weekly rest days and public holidays falling within your leave are not deducted from it. Statutory annual leave is 14, 20 or 26 days depending on length of service (Article 53).
Is there administrative leave in 2027?
As of 30 October 2026, no administrative leave (idari izin) has been announced for any holiday in 2027. Unless you take leave, the bridge days above are working days.
Administrative leave is a separate decision granted to people working in public institutions; it does not happen automatically. The most recent example gives an idea of how it works: for Eid al-Adha 2026, President Erdoğan announced after a Cabinet meeting in early May that the whole of Monday 25 May and Tuesday 26 May up to midday would be covered by administrative leave. The decision came about three weeks before the holiday (NTV, 5 May 2026).
The days that could come up for 2027 are clear from the calendar: the morning of 8 March and Friday 12 March for Eid al-Fitr, and 20–21 May for Eid al-Adha. These are only possibilities. Even if a decision is made:
- It only covers public-sector staff. Private-sector employees use annual leave for these days or wait for their employer's own decision.
- Working on a public holiday depends on your contract. Under Article 44 of the Labour Law, whether work takes place on public holidays is set by the collective agreement or the employment contract; if the contract says nothing, the employee's consent is needed. Under Article 47, an employee who works on such a day is paid an extra day's wage for it.
So book your accommodation around the public holidays that are certain, and if an administrative-leave decision is announced, ask about extending at that point.
How do Turkish school holidays overlap with the 2027 public holidays?
The most important overlap in 2027 is in March: the Ministry of National Education's second-term mid-term break falls in the same week as Eid al-Fitr. The Ministry's announcement of 13 June 2026 gives the dates as follows:
"İkinci dönemin ara tatili 8 Mart 2027 Pazartesi günü başlayacak ve 12 Mart 2027 Cuma günü sona erecek."
("The second-term mid-term break will begin on Monday 8 March 2027 and end on Friday 12 March 2027.")
If you have seen a different date elsewhere, MEB's announcement is the text to go by.
| School calendar | Dates | Time out of school | Relation to public holidays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-year (semester) holiday | 25 January–5 February 2027 | 23 January–7 February, 16 days | No public holiday; working parents need annual leave |
| Second-term mid-term break | 8–12 March 2027 | 6–14 March, 9 days | Same week as Eid al-Fitr (9–11 March) |
| 23 April | Friday 23 April 2027 | 23–25 April, 3 days | Public holiday |
| Eid al-Adha | 15–19 May 2027 | 15–19 May, 5 days | Schools open on 20–21 May |
| End of the school year | Friday 25 June 2027 | Summer holiday begins | — |
The first term ends on Friday 22 January 2027, and the second term starts on Monday 8 February 2027. In practice, this means that for a family with children the longest shared holiday window of 2027 is 6–14 March: the children are already out of school, and a working parent can turn it into 9 days with 1.5–2 days of leave. The calendar covers only schools under MEB, which includes Turkish state schools; universities follow their own academic calendars. For this year's 16–20 November break, we have written a separate November 2026 school break plan.
Which long weekends suit a trip to Bolu and Yedigöller?
The best windows for nature are 15–23 May (Eid al-Adha), 28–31 October (autumn colours) and the two long weekends in July and August; the January and March holidays fall in winter conditions in Bolu. Temperatures are the long-term averages for the Bolu (city centre) station of MGM, the Turkish State Meteorological Service. The crowd column is not a measurement; it is an estimate based on data from previous years and our own observations at the resort.
| Long weekend | Average high / low (Bolu) | Expected crowds | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 January | 5.4 / -3.5 °C | High | Snow and ice; reach Yedigöller from the Mengen side |
| 23 January–7 February (semester break) | January 5.4 / -3.5 °C, February 7.2 / -2.5 °C | High at Abant and the ski resorts, low at Yedigöller | Snow holiday; chains and winter tyres |
| 6–14 March | 11.1 / -0.4 °C | Moderate to high | Winter conditions continue; 14.6 days of rain or snow in the month |
| 23–25 April | 16.7 / 3.6 °C | Moderate | Spring begins; cold nights |
| 15–23 May | 21.4 / 7.6 °C | Very high at Abant and Gölcük, relatively quiet at Yedigöller | Green forest, frequent rain |
| 15–18 July | 27.5 / 12.5 °C | Moderate to high | Cool summer; check the forest-access ruling |
| 28–30 August | 28.0 / 12.7 °C | Moderate to high | The driest month of the year |
| 28–31 October | 19.3 / 6.2 °C | Very high | Peak autumn colour; first snow possible |
January and March: plan around winter conditions
According to Kültür Portalı, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's travel portal, the Bolu–Yedigöller road is closed by snow in winter; during this period the park is reached via Yeniçağa–Mengen–Yazıcık or Devrek–Yazıcık, and the same source gives April to November as the best time to visit. On the 1–3 January and 6–14 March holidays, treat Yedigöller as a trip you make "if the road is open". For driving, see our guide to reaching Yedigöller in winter; for what is open, see places to visit in Bolu in winter; and for New Year, our New Year in Bolu plan.
During the semester-break weeks, the crowds gather at the ski resorts and at Abant, while Yedigöller stays quiet. During the 2024 semester break, 98,339 people visited Abant, 28,700 visited Gölcük and only 1,530 visited Yedigöller (TRT Haber, 6 February 2024). For Kartalkaya's opening status, follow our article on the 2026–2027 ski season. For a day-by-day plan of the 16-day break, see our 2027 semester break guide.
May: holiday crowds gather at Abant and Gölcük
Over the four days of Eid al-Adha 2026 (27–30 May), 9,274 vehicles entered Abant, 6,068 entered Gölcük and only 877 entered Yedigöller (AA, 2 June 2026). Bolu's holiday crowds gather at Abant and Gölcük, and Yedigöller was the quietest of the three. Mid-May in Bolu is spring, not summer: there are on average 14 days of rain in the month, and you will need a fleece in the evenings. For departure and return times, our holiday bungalow break in Bolu article collects the 2026 traffic figures.
July and August: a cool summer, but watch the forest ruling
In July and August, Bolu averages 27.5–28.0 °C by day and 12.5–12.7 °C at night; August is the month with the least rainfall in MGM's data (24.3 mm). In 2026, the Bolu Governorate banned entry to the province's forested areas between 15 July and 30 September (Habertürk, 15 July 2026). The 2026 ban started on exactly the 15 July long weekend; no ruling for 2027 has been announced yet. If you are planning walks or a picnic, read that year's ruling. For a summer plan, see our guides to a cool summer holiday in Bolu and to nature walks and ATV routes in Mengen.
October: Republic Day coincides with peak autumn colour
28–31 October 2027 falls within the mid-October to 15 November window when colours at Yedigöller are usually at their brightest. That makes it the busiest long weekend of the year. In 2025, 180,000 of Yedigöller's roughly 306,000 visitors came in the last two months alone (AA, 29 November 2025). If you want to avoid the crowds, take leave for 25–27 October instead of the long weekend, see the park on weekdays, and head home before the traffic that starts on the afternoon of 28 October. Snow is also possible on higher ground in October: in 2026, the season's first snow fell at the highest point of the Yedigöller road on 16 October (İHA, 16 October 2026). For a week-by-week colour calendar, see our Yedigöller leaf-fall calendar; for choosing the day, see weekdays versus weekends at Yedigöller. For month-by-month weather, our Mengen and Yedigöller weather guide has the details.
Where to stay on a long weekend
Nesilce Tatil Köyü is a 25-unit resort set in the forest in Mengen: 8 two-storey bungalows (4–6 people), 10 standard bungalows (2–3 people) and 7 hotel rooms (2 people). Turkish village breakfast, parking and Wi-Fi are included; pets are welcome with advance notice. There is no swimming pool or jacuzzi. Yedigöller is 48 km away and Abant about 1 hour 10 minutes; the drive takes about 3 hours from Istanbul (260 km) and about 2.5 hours from Ankara (230 km). Check-in is at 14:00 and check-out at 12:00. For room options, see our bungalows in Bolu page; for park routes, see our Yedigöller page.
How we prepared this calendar
We took the holiday dates from Diyanet's 2027 official holiday and religious days tables, the legal durations from the texts of Law No. 2429 and Labour Law No. 4857 in the Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi, and the school dates from MEB's announcement of 13 June 2026. We calculated ourselves which day of the week each date falls on, along with the bridge days and total lengths. The weather figures are for MGM's Bolu (city centre) station; no separate official averages are published for Mengen or Yedigöller. As of 30 October 2026, no administrative-leave decision for 2027, no 2027 summer forest ruling from the Bolu Governorate and no 2026–2027 opening dates for the ski resorts had been announced; we will update this article when they are.
Sources
- Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı, "2027 Yılı Resmi Tatil Günleri" (2027 official holidays)
- Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı, "2027 Dini Günler Listesi" (2027 religious days)
- Law No. 2429 on National Holidays and General Public Holidays (Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi)
- Labour Law No. 4857 (Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi)
- MEB, "2026-2027 Eğitim Öğretim Yılı Takvimi Açıklandı" (13 June 2026)
- NTV, "9 günlük bayram tatili ne zaman başlıyor? 2026 Kurban Bayramı takvimi" (5 May 2026)
- MGM, official climate statistics: Bolu
- Kültür Portalı, Yedigöller National Park
- TRT Haber, "Bolu'nun doğal güzelliklerini sömestrde yaklaşık 129 bin kişi ziyaret etti" (6 February 2024)
- Anadolu Ajansı, "Bolu'nun doğal parklarına bayramda 16 bin araç girişi" (2 June 2026)
- Anadolu Ajansı, "Orman denizi Yedigöller en fazla ziyaretçiyi sonbaharda ağırladı" (29 November 2025)
- Habertürk, "Bolu'da ormanlara giriş yasaklandı" (15 July 2026)
- İHA, "Bolu'da Yedigöller yolunun zirvesinde ekim ayında mevsimin ilk karı yağdı" (16 October 2026)
To check availability for the 2027 long weekends and choose your dates with us, call us or message us on WhatsApp on +90 505 790 50 17.
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does Turkey have in 2027?
Under Law No. 2429, Turkey has a total of 15.5 days of public holiday a year. In 2027, 19 May falls on the fourth day of Eid al-Adha, so 14.5 calendar days remain. Because 1 May, the eve of Eid al-Adha (15 May) and the first day of Eid al-Adha (16 May) fall at the weekend, someone working Monday to Friday gets 12 working days of holiday.
When is Ramazan Bayramı (Eid al-Fitr) 2027, and how long is it?
According to Diyanet's 2027 calendar, the eve (arefe) is Monday 8 March 2027 and the holiday runs from Tuesday 9 to Thursday 11 March. The public holiday starts at 13:00 on the eve and lasts 3.5 days. Friday 12 March is a working day; someone who takes the morning of 8 March and 12 March as leave can be off for 9 days, from 6 to 14 March.
How long is Kurban Bayramı (Eid al-Adha) 2027, and will it be a 9-day break?
The eve is Saturday 15 May 2027 and the holiday runs from Sunday 16 to Wednesday 19 May; the public holiday is 4.5 days. Thursday 20 and Friday 21 May are working days. If administrative leave is granted for those two days, public-sector employees would be off for 9 days, from 15 to 23 May; as of 30 October 2026, no such decision has been announced.
What are the bridge days in 2027?
The bridge days are the morning of 8 March and 12 March (Eid al-Fitr), 20–21 May (Eid al-Adha), 16 July (the Friday after 15 July) and the morning of 28 October (Republic Day). With these 5 days of leave in total you can have 35 days off; if your employer does not allow half-day leave, you need 6 days. 1 January, 23 April and 30 August already join up with a weekend, so they need no leave.
What day of the week is 1 May 2027?
1 May 2027 falls on a Saturday. For people who work Monday to Friday, it does not create an extra day off. Law No. 2429 has no provision for moving a holiday that falls at the weekend to another day.
Is there administrative leave (idari izin) in 2027?
As of 30 October 2026, no administrative leave has been announced for 2027. Administrative leave only covers people working in public institutions and is announced a few weeks before the holiday; for Eid al-Adha 2026 the decision came about three weeks beforehand. In the private sector, bridge days require annual leave.
When are the 2027 semester break and the second mid-term break in Turkish schools?
According to the calendar announced by the Ministry of National Education (MEB) on 13 June 2026, the mid-year (semester) holiday runs from 25 January to 5 February 2027, and the second-term mid-term break from 8 to 12 March 2027. Because the mid-term break falls in the same week as Eid al-Fitr, pupils are out of school for 9 days, from 6 to 14 March. The school year ends on Friday 25 June 2027.
Is it worth going to Bolu on the 2027 long weekends?
It depends on what you want. For autumn colours, 28–31 October; for green forest, 15–23 May; for a cool summer, 15–18 July and 28–30 August. In January and March, winter conditions continue in Bolu; according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's Kültür Portalı, the Bolu–Yedigöller road is closed by snow in winter, and the park is reached via the Yeniçağa–Mengen–Yazıcık route.
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