Istanbul is a market Oplu knows from the inside. Fırat Bay, our Managing Director for family office and investment roles, is from Istanbul, and a steady part of our work is for Turkish principals: some resident in Istanbul, many living between Istanbul and London, Dubai, Monaco or Miami. The brief is often bilingual by definition: staff who can run a principal's affairs in Turkish and in English, in two legal systems and two time zones.

Roles we place in Istanbul and for Turkish families abroad

The office. Turkish family offices and holding groups hire Chiefs of Staff, Executive Assistants and Founder's Associates for principals who sit at the top of a family business as well as a family office. The role usually spans both, and the candidate has to be credible in a boardroom in Levent and at the family's table in Bebek. Finance and operations roles, from Director of Operations to Family Office Director, follow as the office formalises.

The household. Bosphorus residences and summer houses in Bodrum and Çeşme run with House Managers, Housekeepers, Private Chefs and nannies. The most frequent Istanbul household brief is for an English-speaking or bilingual nanny or governess, and for staff who will travel with the family in summer.

Turkish-speaking staff abroad. Turkish families in London, Dubai, Monaco and South Florida ask us for Turkish-speaking Private PAs, housekeepers, nannies and nurses, and for Estate Managers who can manage Turkish-speaking staff and local contractors in the same day. We have placed Turkish-speaking travelling nannies in London and private housekeepers in Miami through this practice.

How Oplu works in Istanbul

Istanbul searches run on relationships. The senior private service market is small, discretion is expected without being discussed, and the best candidates are found through introductions rather than applications. We work through our own network in the city, through the Turkish diaspora in London and Dubai, and through candidates we have placed before.

Searches are led by Fırat Bay for office and investment roles, in Turkish and English with the principal, and by Antonia Edwards for household roles, with Turkish-speaking support on the team. First interviews are by video; principals meet finalists in Istanbul or wherever they happen to be that month.

Family structure matters more in Turkish briefs than in most. The principal may be the second or third generation of a family business; the office may serve siblings and cousins as well as the principal; and the household may span several generations under one roof. We scope who the role actually answers to before the search opens.

Compensation in Istanbul

Senior private office packages in Istanbul often include housing, a car and private health insurance. Salary currency and any indexation must comply with Turkish foreign-currency contract rules. Household salaries are lower than in London or Dubai in absolute terms but have risen sharply for English-speaking and bilingual staff. For Turkish-speaking staff placed abroad, the local market rate applies, with a premium for the language. The Family Office Salary Guide and the Private Staff Salary Guide give the ranges for the roles; we benchmark Istanbul and diaspora briefs individually.

Employment notes for Türkiye

Office roles generally fall under the Labour Law (İş Kanunu), while domestic services are excluded and follow a different legal framework. Contract, probation and termination terms must match the role and applicable law. SGK procedures for domestic work differ between arrangements of fewer than 10 days and 10 or more days per month. Foreign staff generally need work authorisation, and the domestic-worker permit criteria focus on child, elderly or disability care and patient accompaniment. We confirm the employer structure and available permit route before offer. Currency clauses in contracts need care under Turkish regulation on foreign currency obligations. For Turkish staff placed abroad, we brief both sides on the host country's employment requirements.

Working with Oplu in Istanbul

The first conversation is confidential, in Turkish or English, with a Managing Director, in Istanbul, London or by video. We scope the family structure, the role and the compensation before anything goes to market.

Questions we are asked about hiring in Istanbul

Do your consultants speak Turkish? Fırat Bay, who leads office and investment searches, is from Istanbul and works in Turkish and English. Household searches have Turkish-speaking support on the team.

Can you find bilingual staff who will move between Istanbul and London? Yes. Turkish-speaking staff who already live in London, Dubai or on the Riviera are a regular part of our Istanbul work, and we know which of them will travel or relocate.

How formal is a contract for household staff in Türkiye? We recommend clear written terms before work starts. The role and working arrangement determine the applicable contract and SGK requirements. Any termination payment depends on the applicable law, length of service and reason for termination. We brief on the requirements before offer.

Can the family business and the family office share a Chief of Staff? They often do, and the role works when the reporting lines are explicit. We scope who the Chief of Staff answers to, the business, the family or the principal personally, before the search opens.