Research Article

The Limits of the Employee’s Duty of Loyalty: Confidentiality and Non-Competition Obligations Under Turkish Law

Number: 21 August 25, 2026
TR EN

The Limits of the Employee’s Duty of Loyalty: Confidentiality and Non-Competition Obligations Under Turkish Law

Abstract

This study examines the limits of the employee’s duty of loyalty under Turkish labour law, focusing particularly on confidentiality and non-compete obligations. The mutual trust underlying the employment relationship imposes on the employee an obligation to safeguard the employer’s legitimate interests. However, this duty is not unlimited, as it must be balanced against the employee’s constitutional freedom to work and their economic future. Within this framework, the study systematically analyzes Articles 396 and 444–447 of the Turkish Code of Obligations, as well as Article 25/II-e of the Labour Law, distinguishing between non-compete obligations during and after the employment relationship. It is demonstrated that while the duty not to compete during employment arises directly from the duty of loyalty, post-contractual non-compete obligations require a written agreement and must comply with strict validity conditions, including limitations regarding scope, duration, and subject matter. The study further addresses judicial intervention in excessive restrictions, the effects of workplace transfers, and the interaction between non-compete agreements and unfair competition law. In light of Court of Cassation decisions, the paper evaluates the delicate balance between the employer’s protectable interests and the employee’s freedom of work, offering practical solutions to disputes encountered in practice.

Keywords

Law of Obligations, Labour Law, Duty of Loyalty, Non-Competition Clause

References

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APA
Bekik, M. E., Dönmez, F. E., & Durmuş, K. (2026). The Limits of the Employee’s Duty of Loyalty: Confidentiality and Non-Competition Obligations Under Turkish Law. Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi Ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 21, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.25287/ohuiibf.1919980
AMA
1.Bekik ME, Dönmez FE, Durmuş K. The Limits of the Employee’s Duty of Loyalty: Confidentiality and Non-Competition Obligations Under Turkish Law. Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi. 2026;(21):1-14. doi:10.25287/ohuiibf.1919980
Chicago
Bekik, Mehmet Emin, Fazlı Enes Dönmez, and Kübra Durmuş. 2026. “The Limits of the Employee’s Duty of Loyalty: Confidentiality and Non-Competition Obligations Under Turkish Law”. Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi Ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, nos. 21: 1-14. https://doi.org/10.25287/ohuiibf.1919980.
EndNote
Bekik ME, Dönmez FE, Durmuş K (August 1, 2026) The Limits of the Employee’s Duty of Loyalty: Confidentiality and Non-Competition Obligations Under Turkish Law. Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi 21 1–14.
IEEE
[1]M. E. Bekik, F. E. Dönmez, and K. Durmuş, “The Limits of the Employee’s Duty of Loyalty: Confidentiality and Non-Competition Obligations Under Turkish Law”, Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, no. 21, pp. 1–14, Aug. 2026, doi: 10.25287/ohuiibf.1919980.
ISNAD
Bekik, Mehmet Emin - Dönmez, Fazlı Enes - Durmuş, Kübra. “The Limits of the Employee’s Duty of Loyalty: Confidentiality and Non-Competition Obligations Under Turkish Law”. Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi. 21 (August 1, 2026): 1-14. https://doi.org/10.25287/ohuiibf.1919980.
JAMA
1.Bekik ME, Dönmez FE, Durmuş K. The Limits of the Employee’s Duty of Loyalty: Confidentiality and Non-Competition Obligations Under Turkish Law. Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi. 2026;:1–14.
MLA
Bekik, Mehmet Emin, et al. “The Limits of the Employee’s Duty of Loyalty: Confidentiality and Non-Competition Obligations Under Turkish Law”. Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi Ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, no. 21, Aug. 2026, pp. 1-14, doi:10.25287/ohuiibf.1919980.
Vancouver
1.Mehmet Emin Bekik, Fazlı Enes Dönmez, Kübra Durmuş. The Limits of the Employee’s Duty of Loyalty: Confidentiality and Non-Competition Obligations Under Turkish Law. Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi. 2026 Aug. 1;(21):1-14. doi:10.25287/ohuiibf.1919980