Holiday planning
Long Weekends in Türkiye 2026
Türkiye has 8 long weekends in 2026. The longest natural break is 9 days around Sacrifice Feast Bridge Day & Sacrifice Feast Eve & Sacrifice Feast & Sacrifice Feast Holiday (Sat 23 May – Sun 31 May). Take Friday off and turn the Sacrifice Feast Bridge Day & Sacrifice Feast Eve & Sacrifice Feast & Sacrifice Feast Holiday break into a 10-day run.
8
Long weekends
10
Longest break (days)
8
Bridge day opportunities
Official reference: Mevzuat.gov.tr — Law No. 2429 on national and public holidays · How we verify this data
All long weekends in Türkiye 2026
Sorted by calendar date. "Days off" = the natural break without any annual leave. "Bridge days" = working days to take as paid leave to extend the break.
| Date range | Holiday | Days off | Bridge days to take | Total break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan | New Year's Day | 1 | Friday(Fri 2 Jan) | 4d |
| Thu 19 Mar – Sun 22 Mar | Ramadan Feast, Ramadan Feast Holiday | 3 | Thursday(Thu 19 Mar) | 4d |
| Thu 23 Apr – Sun 26 Apr | National Independence & Children's Day | 1 | Friday(Fri 24 Apr) | 4d |
| Thu 30 Apr – Sun 3 May | Labour Day | 3 | Thursday(Thu 30 Apr) | 4d |
| Sat 16 May – Tue 19 May | Atatürk Commemoration & Youth Day | 1 | Monday(Mon 18 May) | 4d |
| Fri 22 May – Sun 31 May | Sacrifice Feast Bridge Day, Sacrifice Feast Eve, Sacrifice Feast, Sacrifice Feast Holiday | 9 | Friday(Fri 22 May) | 10d |
| Sat 11 Jul – Wed 15 Jul | Democracy and National Unity Day | 1 | Monday + Tuesday(Mon 13 Jul, Tue 14 Jul) | 5d |
| Thu 29 Oct – Sun 1 Nov | Republic Day | 1 | Friday(Fri 30 Oct) | 4d |
Best long weekends in Türkiye 2026
The top breaks ranked by total consecutive days off.
May
Sacrifice Feast Bridge Day & Sacrifice Feast Eve & Sacrifice Feast & Sacrifice Feast Holiday
Fri 22 May – Sun 31 May
10
days
July
Democracy and National Unity Day
Sat 11 Jul – Wed 15 Jul
5
days
January
New Year's Day
Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan
4
days
March
Ramadan Feast & Ramadan Feast Holiday
Thu 19 Mar – Sun 22 Mar
4
days
How to use bridge days in Türkiye
A bridge day (sometimes called a sandwiched day) is a working day that sits between a public holiday and a weekend. By taking it as paid annual leave, you connect the holiday to the weekend and create a longer uninterrupted break.
For example, if a public holiday falls on a Thursday, taking Friday off gives you Thursday + Friday + Saturday + Sunday — four consecutive days using only one day of leave.
In Türkiye 2026, there are 8 bridge day opportunities highlighted in the table above. The biggest gain is around Sacrifice Feast Bridge Day & Sacrifice Feast Eve & Sacrifice Feast & Sacrifice Feast Holiday: take Friday off to turn a 9-day break into 10 consecutive days using only 1 day of annual leave.
Public holidays linked to long weekends
Sacrifice Feast Bridge Day
Mon 25 May
Sacrifice Feast Eve
Tue 26 May
Sacrifice Feast
Wed 27 May
Sacrifice Feast Holiday
Thu 28 May
Democracy and National Unity Day
Wed 15 Jul
New Year's Day
Thu 1 Jan
Ramadan Feast
Fri 20 Mar
Ramadan Feast Holiday
Sat 21 Mar
National Independence & Children's Day
Thu 23 Apr
Labour Day
Fri 1 May
Atatürk Commemoration & Youth Day
Tue 19 May
Republic Day
Thu 29 Oct
Continue exploring
More for Türkiye 2026
Public holidays
Public holidays in Türkiye 2026
Full list of 16 public holidays with dates and observance notes.
Working days
Working days in Türkiye 2026
Monthly breakdown of weekdays minus public holidays.
Other year
Long weekends in Türkiye 2027
Same bridge day analysis for 2027.
Region guide
Public holidays across Europe
Compare holiday calendars for neighbouring countries in the region.
Calculator
Working Days Between Two Dates
Net working days for any date range — public holidays excluded, 192 countries.
Frequently asked questions
How many long weekends does Türkiye have in 2026?
Türkiye has 8 long weekends in 2026 where a public holiday creates a break of three or more consecutive days.
What is a bridge day?
A bridge day is a regular working day that falls between a public holiday and a weekend. Taking it as annual leave creates an uninterrupted break of four or more days using just one or two days of paid leave — maximising your time off.
What is the longest long weekend in Türkiye in 2026?
The longest break is 10 days from Friday, 22 May 2026 to Sunday, 31 May 2026, centred around Sacrifice Feast Bridge Day and Sacrifice Feast Eve and Sacrifice Feast and Sacrifice Feast Holiday (taking Friday as annual leave).
How can I get the most days off with the least leave in Türkiye 2026?
The best bridge day opportunity is around Sacrifice Feast Bridge Day & Sacrifice Feast Eve & Sacrifice Feast & Sacrifice Feast Holiday (Sat 23 May – Sun 31 May). Take Friday as annual leave to get a 10-day break using only 1 day of paid leave.
Are bridge days public holidays in Türkiye?
No. Bridge days are ordinary working days — employees choose to take them as paid annual leave. They are not legally mandated public holidays.