21.09.2025 09:10
The Minister of Trade, Ömer Bolat, clarified the discussions regarding whether supermarkets will be closed on Sundays, which came to the agenda at the request of the Turkish Retailers Federation. Bolat stated that the joint proposal of the upper professional organizations is important for regulation. The Minister also mentioned that the working hours of retail businesses could be determined by provincial governorships as well.
The Minister of Trade, Ömer Bolat, clarified the discussions regarding whether supermarkets will be closed on Sundays.
Speaking on the issue that came to the agenda upon the request of the Turkish Retailers Federation (TPF), Minister Bolat emphasized that a joint proposal from the upper professional organizations is essential for regulation.
"CAN ALSO BE DETERMINED BY GOVERNORATES"
Bolat stated, "The working hours of retail businesses can be determined by our Ministry at the regional or national level based on the joint proposal of the upper professional organizations (Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey and the Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen). Currently, no joint proposal has been submitted to our Ministry by the upper professional organizations. However, the working hours of retail businesses can also be determined at the provincial level by the governorates."
THE PROPOSAL CAME FROM THE TURKISH RETAILERS FEDERATION
The Turkish Retailers Federation (TPF) had proposed that supermarkets be closed on Sundays.
In the Retail Sector Employment Report prepared for 2025, one of the prominent suggestions was to keep supermarkets closed on Sundays. It is stated that this proposal would allow employees to spend the same day off with their families, thus establishing a balance between social life and work life.
The report mentions that there are issues in sustainable employment, emphasizing that employees in the retail sector do not see the sector as a permanent job because they cannot take a holiday with their families on Sundays.
In the statement, TPF President Ömer Düzgün expressed that keeping supermarkets closed on Sundays would strengthen family structures, support sustainable employment in the sector, and uplift small tradesmen, stating, "Today, hundreds of thousands of people working in the retail sector cannot take a holiday with their families on the same day. One is off during the week, the spouse is off on the weekend, the child is at school, and the individual is on shift."
Düzgün emphasized that weekend holidays would strengthen family ties, saying, "These lives that are distanced from each other weaken family bonds and create social fatigue. However, family strength comes from the time spent together. This situation also negatively affects sustainable employment. The declaration of 2025 as the Year of Family by our esteemed President has drawn a very valuable framework. As local chains, we also want to contribute to this vision."