
© Kadir Özyay
ILO Office for Türkiye, with the support of the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye and in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, organized a workshop titled “The Legal Status of Platform Workers in Türkiye.”
At the workshop organized in cooperation with the ILO and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, discussions focused on the legal status of digital platform workers and the barriers to their access to decent work.
ANKARA (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for Türkiye, with the support of the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye and in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, organized a workshop titled “Legal Status of Platform Workers in Türkiye.”

The event aimed to discuss the challenges faced by digital platform workers and contribute to policy development processes in this area.

The workshop was organized within the scope of the ILO project “Strengthening Social Partners and Civil Society Capacities on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.” Opening speeches were delivered by ILO Türkiye Director Yasser Hassan, Head of the Civil Society, Fundamental Rights, Judiciary and Home Affairs Section at the EU Delegation to Türkiye Jean Barbé, and Deputy Director General of the Directorate General of Labour Ziya Kürşat Babayiğit.

One of the main agenda items of the workshop was the impact of new forms of work, emerging with the rapid rise of the platform economy, on labour rights. Participants examined the situation of digital platform workers under various topics including legal status, social security, occupational health and safety, and freedom of association.

In the morning sessions, Dr. Hazal Tolu Yılmaz of Galatasaray University Faculty of Law, evaluated the current legal status of platform workers from the perspective of labour and social security law. Nuno Meira Simões da Cunha from the ILO Geneva Office provided insights into the ILO’s standard-setting work on the platform economy and the global consultation process launched in early 2024.

In the open discussion sessions held in the afternoon, various stakeholders spoke under the moderation of ILO Türkiye Senior Project Coordinator Emre Dönmez, sharing the problems experienced by platform workers and proposing possible solutions.

The findings of the workshop are expected to contribute to future legal and institutional regulations in Türkiye’s platform economy and to the strengthening of workers' rights in this field.