Politics
Bill to prevent perception of impunity lands at Turkish Parliament
Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on Thursday submitted a bill to Parliament that will amend the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) for better public security, a more effective fight against crime and end the perception of impunity.
The “judicial package” includes 30 articles outlining five goals, 45 targets and 264 activities, and amends in total nine different laws.
“The package aims to strengthen public satisfaction with the judiciary,” AK Party Group Chair Abdullah Güler said after the bill was presented to lawmakers.
“We aim to improve the current situation, ensure the convicts adhere to disciplinary rules, prevent crime, and facilitate the safety of lives and property in traffic with these regulations,” Güler said.
The package highlights good behavior, conditional release and rehabilitation cases.
A convict will spend one-tenth of their sentence in a penal institution until their conditional release, and repeat offenders will be given the opportunity to benefit from conditional release.
“In cases where the sentence is less than two years for social crimes, we want them to spend one-tenth of their sentence in a penal institution, not less than five days for crimes under two years,” Güler explained, noting that the regulation concerns nearly 20,000 prisoners in total.
The bill particularly aims to increase prison terms for crimes of deliberate injury and reckless injury. The minimum term for deliberate injury and reckless injury will be six and four months in prison, respectively.
It also seeks to address unruly behavior in traffic, a problem plaguing especially big cities where motorists often engage in brawls when one overtakes another and endangering the lives of each other.
The bill will redefine the TCK’s Article 223 as “prevention and hijacking of transportation vehicles,” a more fitting description for brawls where angry motorists or passengers are often shot on video, blocking the vehicles they attacked. Those involved in blocking vehicles will face prison terms of up to three years under the proposed bill.
The document for reform strategy has been prepared with the vision for a predictable justice system that will not be delayed and is based on the supremacy of the law, the Justice Ministry said in a statement in January. The reform outlines principles that include strengthening the corporate structure and the human resources capacity, restructuring processes, increasing the effectiveness of the penal justice system and the legal and administrative trial processes, and making access to justice easier.
Türkiye unveiled the first of its legal reform strategy documents in 2009, followed by a second in 2015 and a third in 2019.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will pay an official visit to Canada on June 25-26 for talks aimed at deepening bilateral relations, expanding economic cooperation and discussing key regional and global security issues, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.
Fidan is scheduled to begin his visit in Toronto on Thursday with a tour of the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, one of Canada’s largest nuclear energy facilities. Turkish officials said the visit is intended to provide firsthand insight into Canada’s capabilities and expertise in the nuclear energy sector as Ankara seeks to expand its own energy portfolio.
The foreign minister will also attend a meeting with business leaders, academics and representatives of civil society organizations to discuss opportunities for economic cooperation and investment between the two countries.
On Friday, Fidan will travel to Ottawa for talks with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand. The meeting is expected to focus on strengthening political dialogue, boosting trade and investment, and elevating Türkiye-Canada relations to the level of a strategic partnership.
Turkish officials said Fidan will emphasize the importance of increasing high-level contacts and reciprocal visits, while calling for efforts to remove barriers to trade and accelerate negotiations on a long-discussed free trade agreement.
Bilateral trade between Türkiye and Canada reached approximately $2.7 billion (TL 125.54 billion) in 2025, with Turkish exports totaling $1.57 billion and imports from Canada standing at $1.16 billion. Turkish officials have said there is significant potential for further growth in trade and investment ties.
Energy cooperation is also expected to feature prominently in the discussions. Fidan is expected to highlight opportunities for collaboration in nuclear energy and other energy sectors, while advocating closer cooperation in the defense industry and stronger military ties between the NATO allies.
Regional security issues are also expected to be on the agenda. Sources said Fidan will stress the need to remain vigilant against attempts to undermine the recent understanding reached between the United States and Iran. He is also expected to underline the importance of restoring unrestricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as vital for global trade and energy supplies.
The Turkish foreign minister is expected to reiterate Ankara’s support for diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and call for increased international pressure on Israel over its policies in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.
Relations between Türkiye and Canada have expanded in recent years, particularly in defense and nuclear energy cooperation. Canada is home to an estimated 130,000 Turkish citizens, while direct air connectivity has increased following Turkish Airlines’ decision to raise its weekly flights to Canada from 12 to 21 earlier this year.
Fidan has maintained regular consultations with his Canadian counterpart. Most recently, Canadian Minister Anita Anand visited Türkiye on March 17, 2026.
A Turkish court has ordered the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul’s Adalar district and several senior municipal officials as part of a corruption investigation alleging that municipal authorities solicited payments from institutions and individuals in exchange for permits and administrative approvals.
The investigation, conducted by the Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, centers on allegations that officials from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)-run Adalar Municipality demanded money in return for occupancy permits and other municipal procedures.
According to the Sabah newspaper report, municipal officials allegedly collected nearly TL 3 million ($65,000) from representatives of a Greek Orthodox foundation on Büyükada, despite the institution’s legal exemption from such fees.
Prosecutors allege that Deputy Mayor Hüseyin Yılmaz pressured foundation representative Vasil Poridis to make payments related to an occupancy permit, arguing that the municipality needed funds. Wiretap records included in the case file allegedly show discussions between Yılmaz and Mayor Ali Ercan Akpolat regarding the collection of the payments.
The investigation claims that the payments were made in several installments. One intercepted conversation dated Jan. 26, 2026, allegedly references the receipt of TL 1.68 million in cash. Prosecutors say additional payments were later requested.
Authorities also allege that municipal officials monitored the permit process and linked its progress to the collection of funds. The prosecutor’s assessment states that an institution legally exempt from municipal fees was allegedly compelled to make payments under the guise of permit charges, providing financial benefit to senior municipal officials.
The case file further alleges that municipal authorities examined similar permit-related matters involving other religious institutions in the district, including the historic Halki Seminary on Heybeliada.
Last week, police detained 42 suspects, including Akpolat and Deputy Mayors Hüseyin Yılmaz and Fırat Durak. The operation targeted 90 locations across four provinces.
Following questioning, 39 suspects were referred to court while three were released. The court later ordered the arrest of 35 suspects, including Akpolat and the two deputy mayors. Four others were released under judicial supervision pending trial.
A draft report prepared by a parliamentary committee on the prevention of juvenile crime was recently wrapped up and includes diverse suggestions to authorities.
In 2025, Parliament set up the Committee on Children Driven to Crime, a legal term for underage individuals committing crimes, after several murders of children committed by their peers grabbed headlines, along with the rise of criminal gangs recruiting minors as hitmen.
The report proposes a myriad of measures to curb the disturbing phenomenon. Among them are screening programs among preschoolers and primary school students to assess their mental health and social factors affecting their upbringing. Other proposals include broader surveillance of schools and legal amendments for minors involved in crimes to ensure “social justice.”
The draft report will be presented to Parliament’s presidency after more input by lawmakers. The report is composed of six chapters and 691 pages. In an introduction to the report, the committee’s chair, Müşerref Pervin Tuba Durgut, said the issue was tackled by the committee not as a mere judiciary matter but a multi-layered phenomenon affecting society. Durgut said they assessed risk factors driving children to commit crimes within a wide scope of interactions, from the impact of families, schools and peers to neighborhood ties, the digital world and public policies.
For months, the committee heard academics, experts and those affected by crimes committed by children driven into crime and made field visits.
Explaining that a cross-sectional study was also carried out with 610 children selected via stratified random sampling from 4,989 children in juvenile closed penal institutions and juvenile education houses, Durgut said they examined the risk factors the children were exposed to.
“The findings obtained from these studies have clearly demonstrated the need for inter-agency coordination, the importance of early intervention mechanisms, the dissemination of best practices developed at the local level, and the necessity of holistic policies that center the child in crime prevention. The committee’s work has contributed to understanding the multi-dimensional structure of juvenile delinquency and has revealed the importance of holistic, interdisciplinary and practice-based approaches in policy development processes,” she said.
The report also included official statistics and academic studies regarding juveniles dragged into delinquency in Türkiye.
Stating that juvenile delinquency has become a rising trend, the report stated that research on judicial incidents involving children and adolescents has generally developed in an upward direction.
According to the official data, the number of incidents involving children who came or were brought to security units due to an alleged crime rose from 133,829 in 2015 to 202,785 in 2024. The report stated, “Accordingly, an increase of approximately 51.5% occurred in the number of incidents involving children in the last 10-year period. This increase reveals that children’s contact with the judicial system has become more widespread.”
Among other suggestions in the report are mandatory hospitalization and treatment for children (if the court rules in favor) with anti-social behavior, disorders and substance addiction, effective public service models for psychological counseling and crisis intervention for at-risk families. Lawmakers suggested that families at risk should receive employment support and be included in income-generating programs, to prevent children from turning to crime to support themselves or their families.
The report also proposes the installation of camera systems in all schools and the introduction of electronic passes for entry to schools, in light of recent school shootings that have emerged as another threatening aspect of the phenomenon.
A suspected member of the Daesh terrorist group was killed on Tuesday, and his wife was wounded during a clash with Turkish special operations police conducting a raid near the capital, Ankara, authorities said.
The operation took place in the Sazağası neighborhood of Ankara’s Haymana district, where security forces moved to detain the suspects at their residence.
According to Turkish authorities, the suspects opened fire on police, triggering an exchange of gunfire. The male suspect, identified as 25-year-old Muhammed K., was killed at the scene, while his wife, identified only by the initials N.K., was captured alive after being wounded.
Investigators later determined that Muhammed K. had allegedly maintained contact with Daesh operatives through social media platforms and participated in online discussion groups linked to the terrorist group.
Moreover, authorities also said evidence collected during the investigation indicated that a Daesh operative identified as Ismael J.K.A. had allegedly communicated with Muhammed K. through TikTok and provided instructions related to potential activities in Türkiye.
Investigators also found that Muhammed K. operated two separate TikTok accounts. One account, reportedly bearing his own name, was allegedly used to join online chat groups associated with a publication linked to the Daesh.
A second account, operating under a nickname, was allegedly used to communicate with senior members of the group, according to the investigation.
Türkiye has carried out numerous operations against suspected Daesh members in recent years, targeting recruitment networks, financing activities and online propaganda channels. Authorities have repeatedly warned that social media platforms remain a key tool for communication and recruitment among extremist organizations.
Nimet Özdemir, a lawmaker who resigned from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), formally joined the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on Wednesday.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed Özdemir at the parliamentary group meeting of the party.
Özdemir, a business executive, had left former CHP ally Good Party (IP) for the main opposition in 2024. She has been a member of Parliament’s Türkiye-EU committee and the environment committee.
Two weeks ago, another former IP lawmaker, Ersin Beyaz, joined the AK Party, soon after his resignation from the opposition party.
The AK Party has seen a stream of new transfers in the past two years.
Since the 2024 elections, 15 mayors have left their parties and joined the AK Party. Most of them were formerly members of the CHP.
Turkish court has released on Tuesday its detailed reasoning for convicting three defendants over the twin bombings in the southern border town of Reyhanlı that killed 53 people in 2013, describing the attack as an operation directed by intelligence elements linked to the Bashar Assad regime.
In its written ruling, Ankara’s 9th High Criminal Court outlined the planning, financing and execution of the May 11, 2013, attack, one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in modern Turkish history.
The court said evidence presented during the trial showed that instructions for the attack were received directly from Syrian intelligence-linked operatives and were carried out with the involvement of members of the THKP-C/Acilciler militant group.
According to the ruling, the group expanded its activities near the Turkish border during the Syrian civil war and operated in coordination with pro-Assad militia groups in Syria’s Latakia region. The court said the group later focused on planning attacks in Türkiye, particularly in Hatay province.
The decision identified three defendants, Memet Gezer, Temir Dükancı and Cengiz Sertel, as key participants in the procurement, transportation and financing of explosives used in the attack.
Judges said the explosives were smuggled from Syria into Türkiye through five separate maritime shipments using fishing boats. The materials were allegedly concealed in sacks and transported under the supervision of individuals linked to Syrian intelligence under Bashar Assad.
The court found that the defendants acted in coordination with Syrian intelligence operatives and played central roles in preparing the attack. Testimony and evidence presented during the proceedings indicated that those involved were promised large sums of money in exchange for carrying out logistical and operational tasks.
The explosions killed 53 people, including five children, and caused extensive damage to the town. Court records showed that 912 homes, 891 businesses and 148 vehicles were damaged in the blasts.
The court sentenced Gezer, Dükancı and Sertel to 53 aggravated life sentences each one for attempting to undermine the unity and integrity of the Turkish state and 52 separate sentences for murder. The defendants were also handed additional prison terms totaling 3,921 years for other offenses.
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