The invention relates to a turning apparatus for a production plant (2) for sanitary products, in particular adult or baby diapers, the turning apparatus having a drum (12) which rotates about a geometrical drum rotational axis (11), and at least one plate (14) which is spaced apart radially from the drum rotational axis (11) and is coupled to the drum (12), which plate (14) comprises a suction face (15) for the transport of sanitary material pieces (16), which suction face (15) holds the respective sanitary material piece (16) by means of a vacuum during the transport, the plate (14) having a geometrical vertical axis (17) which runs radially with respect to the drum rotational axis (11), the plate (14) receiving the sanitary material piece (16) with a first orientation about the vertical axis (17) in a first transfer region (18), and transporting the sanitary material piece (16) from the first transfer region (18) to a second transfer region (20) along a setpoint transfer path (19) which runs in the circumferential direction around the drum rotational axis (11), the suction face (15) being rotated with the sanitary material piece (16) about the vertical axis (17) during the transport, the plate (14) outputting the sanitary material piece (16) in the second transfer region (20) with a second orientation which is different than the first orientation about the vertical axis (17). It is proposed that, during the receiving and/or outputting, the plate (14) carries out a non-linear compensation movement relative to the drum (12) with a radial movement component.