How do you write a resignation letter and serve notice?
Write your own resignation letter, hand it in against signature, and run the notice period without losing your claims.
Short answer
Read the notice clause in your employment contract, confirm your length of service from your SSI service record on e-Devlet, state your voluntary departure and your chosen last working day in the letter, sign two copies, and get a stamped copy with a document registration number from HR. Keep working through the notice period.
What you need
Step by step
Read the notice clause in your contract
Open your signed employment contract and find the article headed Termination, Notification Period, or Notice Period. Your contract or a collective agreement may set a longer period than the statutory minimum, and that longer text is what binds you. Check the staff handbook for any handover or asset-return condition as well.
Verify your service length on e-Devlet
Log in at turkiye.gov.tr with your e-Devlet password or mobile signature, search for 4A Service Record, and open the SSI Registration and Service Record service. On the Service Record tab, check the insurance start date at this employer. Notice length depends on that seniority, so settle this number first.
Draft the body of the letter
Put your name, national ID number, personnel number, and contact details at the top right. Address it to the company's full legal trade name and add a line for the Human Resources Department. In the text, state clearly that you are leaving of your own accord, that you will observe the notice period, and the exact date you have set as your last working day.
Review the reason and any waiver wording
You are not required to give a reason; a short, neutral phrase is enough. Do not copy waiver sentences from templates, such as I have no remaining rights or receivables. That kind of line puts your unpaid overtime, leave, and bonus claims into dispute.
Sign two copies and deliver by hand
Print two copies and sign both by hand in wet ink. Take both to HR or the document registry, ask for the letter to be entered in the Incoming Documents log, and keep the copy that carries the company stamp, a signature, the date, and the document registration number. That signed copy is your only proof of delivery.
Send it in writing if delivery is refused
If HR avoids registering the letter, have a notary issue a resignation notice, or send it by registered mail with return receipt to the company's official service address. If you have a corporate KEP account, sending it to the company's KEP address is also valid. Keep the dispatch receipt and the delivery confirmation.
Record the handover and asset return
Keep to your normal working routine throughout the notice period. When returning assigned items such as a laptop, phone, vehicle, access card, or keys, ask for an Asset Return Record or Handover Record and take a signed copy. List every transferred file item by item.
Check your exit papers and SSI notification
On your last day, ask HR for an Employment Certificate plus your payslip and final settlement statement, which are not a release deed. Then open the Employment Termination Notification and 4A Service Record services on e-Devlet and confirm your exit entry and departure reason code appear. If anything is wrong, file a written correction request.
Tips
Watch out
Walking out without serving notice can leave you owing the employer notice pay, and that amount may be deducted from your salary or severance calculation. A verbal or messaged resignation that cannot be proven may be treated as absenteeism and used as grounds for termination for cause. Always proceed with a signed copy that carries a registration number.
Frequently asked questions
+Is a resignation sent by WhatsApp or email valid?
It can count as a declaration of intent, but its evidentiary weight is weak and the company may claim it never received it. Registering a wet-signed copy, or sending it via KEP or registered mail with return receipt, is safer.
+Can I get severance pay if I resign?
As a rule, resignation does not create a severance entitlement. Exceptions such as military service, marriage, or meeting retirement conditions can, so ask SSI and HR in writing whether your case qualifies.
+How long is the notice period, and can I calculate it myself?
The period is tiered by seniority and can be extended by contract. Take the start date from your service record, compare it against your contract clause, and confirm the result with HR in writing.
+Can I withdraw the letter after handing it in?
You can withdraw it only if the employer agrees; you cannot reverse it unilaterally. If you change your mind, file a written resignation withdrawal letter the same day and have it entered in the document log.
+Can I take annual leave during the notice period?
The employer is not obliged to grant annual leave inside the notice period, and the two periods do not substitute for each other. Any unused leave balance is paid out as wages in your final settlement.
Sources and verification
Last verified: 13 Eylül 2026. tell us. Procedures, service names, and document titles follow Turkish labour law and e-Devlet; terms are translated for reference and are not legal advice.
This content is for information only; for official procedures the relevant institution’s current announcements take precedence. Details: disclaimer.