NEWSLETTER-2020-metin

348 NEWSLETTER 2020 Recruitment of Turkish Employees in Overseas Countries* Att. Hazel Coşkun Baylan Introduction Several Turkish companies are undertaking projects related to construction, infrastructure, energy, port management and similar projects in various foreign countries. Alongside the foreign citizens working on these projects in foreign countries, Turkish companies mostly wish to take their existing Turkish employees to their overseas companies, or recruit new Turkish employees specifically for their projects abroad. In this article, the procedure for recruiting Turkish employees in overseas companies and the applicable law to govern these overseas employment contracts will be reviewed. Bilateral Labor Force Treaties Bilateral labor force treaties are international treaties enabling labor transfer between two countries, which regulates the terms and conditions for the employee’s employment and living standards, secu- rity, return to home country, and etc. As of the date of this article, the Republic of Turkey is a party to bilateral labor force treaties executed with Germany, Austria, Bel- gium, Netherlands, France, Australia, Libya, Jordan, Qatar, Northern Turkish Republic of Cyprus, Azerbaijan and Kuwait. If employers wish to recruit Turkish employees in any of these countries, firstly, the terms of the related bilateral labor force treaty should be observed. If any special procedure is designated for recruitment, the bilateral labor force treaty shall be applied. * Article of August, 2020