The Turkish Ministry of Justice is drafting a judicial reform bill that would significantly reduce or eliminate sentence reductions for crimes committed by minors aged 15 to 18, the Sabah daily reported.
The proposed legislation would amend Article 31 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), which governs sentencing for minors aged 15 to 18. Under the current law, juveniles in this age bracket receive significantly reduced sentences: Aggravated life imprisonment is reduced to 18–24 years, life imprisonment becomes 12–15 years and all other penalties are reduced by one-third.
The bill, expected to be submitted to parliament, would substantially reduce these sentence mitigations, resulting in harsher penalties for juvenile offenders. For homicide cases involving minors aged 16 and above, judges would have discretionary authority to impose adult sentences without any reductions, considering factors such as intent, motive and criminal record.
The legislation also addresses parental responsibility. Article 233 of the TCK, which covers failure to fulfill family obligations, currently carries a maximum sentence of one year for parents who neglect their duties involving care, education or support. The proposal would increase these penalties to strengthen parental accountability.
The proposal follows a public outcry over juvenile violence, particularly after the January 24 murder of 15-year-old Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi in broad daylight in an Istanbul marketplace. Two suspects — 16-year-old B.B. and 15-year-old U.B. — were arrested in connection with the killing. The victim’s mother, Yasemin Minguzzi, has campaigned for the suspects to be tried as adults, even appealing directly to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and staging a sit-in on July 21 demanding amendments to juvenile justice laws.
Yasemin Minguzzi has garnered widespread public support, yet human rights advocates caution that the proposed legal amendments could risk the excessive prosecution of children.
In an earlier joint statement signed by 62 human rights organizations, campaigners said the justice system should prioritize protection and prevention rather than harsher punishment. They argued that juvenile delinquency stems from systemic neglect and structural inequalities, citing at least 13 minors killed by peers in 2024 and seven more in the first five months of 2025 as evidence of failures in safeguarding children.
The statement called for a rights-based, restorative and transformative juvenile justice system that actively involves social workers and assigns professionals specializing in children’s rights to judicial proceedings. It also emphasized that detention should be used only as a last resort, with community-based measures prioritized as alternatives to punitive approaches. Finally, it urged that children, women’s rights organizations, bar associations, academics and NGOs be consulted in the drafting of legislation affecting minors.
Violence among minors in Turkey has been rising, with a growing number of fatal incidents over the past year. Opposition politicians have time and again warned that increasing poverty is making minors vulnerable to crime. They have called on the government for better social policies to deter youngsters from gangs and criminal activity.
