The Regulation on the Working Procedures and Principles of the National Occupational Health and Safety Council (“Regulation”) was published in the Official Gazette dated 21 January 2026 and numbered 33144 and entered into force accordingly. With the Regulation, the operational framework of the National Occupational Health and Safety Council (“Council”), which plays a key role in shaping occupational health and safety policy at the national level, has been clarified in a more structured and systematic manner, including how the Council operates, which institutions participate and with what roles, and how decision-making processes function.

What is the purpose of the Council?

The Regulation clearly sets out the rationale for the existence of the Council. The purpose of the Council is to contribute to the formulation of occupational health and safety policies and strategies at the national level and to provide guiding recommendations in this field.

Within this framework, the Council primarily focuses on:

• the prevention of occupational accidents and occupational diseases,
• the protection of employees’ well-being,
• the promotion of a preventive and sustainable national occupational health and safety approach covering all workplaces and employees.

In addition, the Regulation emphasizes that, in carrying out its activities, the Council will take into account not only the general workforce but also the needs of groups requiring special policies, such as women workers and young, elderly, disabled, pregnant or breastfeeding employees.

Who composes the Council?

The Council convenes under the chairmanship of the Minister of Labour and Social Security or a deputy minister appointed by the Minister.

In order to ensure comprehensive coordination in the field of occupational health and safety, both public authorities and social partners are strongly represented within the Council. Accordingly, the Council includes:

• deputy ministers of various relevant ministries,
• key units of the Ministry responsible for occupational health and safety and working life,
• the Social Security Institution,
• workers’, employers’ and public servants’ confederations,
• organizations representing the business community such as TOBB, TESK and TZOB.

In addition, universities, non-governmental organizations, professional bodies and private sector representatives may be invited to Council meetings or included in working structures where deemed necessary.

What are the duties of the Council?

The Regulation assigns the Council a primary role in policy development and improvement. In this context, the Council participates in the preparation of the National Occupational Health and Safety Policy Document and supports the determination of national goals and priorities.

Furthermore, the Council is expected to:

• contribute to the implementation and monitoring of occupational health and safety policies and strategies,
• develop recommendations for the review of legislation in line with changing working life conditions,
• propose activities and actions aimed at promoting an occupational health and safety culture nationwide,
• encourage research and development projects in the field of occupational health and safety,
• strengthen inter-institutional coordination and information sharing.

In short, the role of the Council is not limited to providing opinions; rather, it functions as a policy platform shaping the long-term national occupational health and safety approach.

How will the Council operate?

The Regulation establishes the basic framework governing the Council’s working procedures.

The Council convenes in an ordinary meeting at least once a year. Where necessary, extraordinary meetings may also be held upon the request of the Chair or a certain portion of the members.

In order to ensure that meetings are conducted in an organized and efficient manner:

• meeting agendas are prepared and approved by the secretariat,
• meeting invitations are notified to members prior to the meeting,
• coordination is ensured for the participation of external attendees, where applicable.

Through this structure, the Regulation aims to ensure that Council meetings are not conducted in an ad hoc manner but instead follow a planned and recordable working process.

How does the decision-making mechanism function?

The Regulation also clarifies the Council’s decision-making process.

In general terms:

• decisions are adopted by a majority of the members present at the meeting,
• invitees or representatives who are not Council members do not have voting rights,
• in the event of an equality of votes, the vote of the Chair is decisive,
• decisions taken are recorded in minutes and signed by the members attending the meeting,
• members dissenting from a decision may have their justifications recorded.

These rules are designed to ensure that Council decisions are transparent, traceable and duly recorded, thereby supporting institutional memory.

Why are sub-committees and working groups important?

One of the most significant aspects of the Regulation is that it enables the Council to move beyond a structure that merely convenes meetings and towards a model that produces tangible outputs.

To this end, the Regulation provides for:

• sub-committees composed of Council members focusing on specific issues,
• advisory groups consisting of academics and experts to provide scientific and technical opinions,
• working groups bringing together public authorities, universities, non-governmental organizations and private sector representatives to carry out technical assessments.

This structure offers a functional model capable of bringing together technical expertise, field experience and policy objectives, particularly in a multi-stakeholder area such as occupational health and safety.

Why is this Regulation important?

By transforming the Council into a more visible and operational body, the Regulation aims to:

• institutionalize occupational health and safety policy-making,
• strengthen inter-institutional coordination,
• promote an occupational health and safety culture nationwide,
• ensure continuity through technical working structures,
• render decision-making processes more traceable.

From the perspective of the business community and human resources and compliance teams, it is expected that the Council and its supporting structures will play a role in paving the way for new strategies, governance practices and potential legislative developments in the field of occupational health and safety in the coming period.

The full text of the Regulation is available at this link.