The newly passed 10th Judicial Reform Package aims to strengthen criminal justice, prevent crime and “eliminate the perception of impunity,” Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said Wednesday as Parliament approved the far-reaching legal changes a day before.
Tunç hailed the new reform as a crucial step toward a more effective and credible justice system. “With this package, we aim to make criminal justice more effective, eliminate the perception of impunity, expand the scope of special execution procedures, prevent the commission of crimes and ensure deterrence, as well as increase traffic safety,” Tunç said on social media after the vote.
He added: “I thank all our deputies who supported the legislative process. We will continue to implement the goals in our Judicial Reform Strategy Document prepared with the vision of a rule-of-law-based, swift, and predictable justice system, and we will make the ‘Century of Türkiye’ the century of justice.”
The newly enacted law introduces a wide array of amendments to multiple legal codes, including the Penal Code, Execution of Penalties Law, and laws governing notaries and administrative courts. Many of the provisions aim to address longstanding concerns over sentencing inconsistencies, outdated penal procedures, and lenient treatment of serious offenses.
One of the most important updates is the increase in prison sentences for attempted crimes, especially where the offender previously faced aggravated or life imprisonment. The new law raises the lower and upper limits of determinate prison terms. For instance, the sentence for crimes previously punished with aggravated life imprisonment will now range between 14 and 21 years, instead of the previous 13 to 20. For regular life sentences, the range is now 10 to 18 years, up from nine to 15.
Similarly, penalties for intentional injury have been toughened, with minimum prison terms rising from one year to one year and six months. In cases where injuries result in permanent harm – such as loss of organ function, facial disfigurement or premature birth in attacks against pregnant women –minimum penalties have been increased across the board, in some cases from five to six years or from eight to nine years. If an injury leads to death, the lower limit of the sentence will now be 10 years instead of 8. If bone fractures caused by assault lead to death, the lower limit is now 14 years. These stricter penalties also apply to crimes committed against women, where the minimum sentence has risen from six months to nine months.
The law also targets threats and intimidation more forcefully, with the aim of deterrence. For example, threatening someone with major financial harm or other serious consequences will now carry a minimum sentence of two months. If the threat involves a weapon, disguise, unsigned letters or symbols, is perpetrated by a group, or relies on the intimidation power of a crime syndicate, the maximum prison sentence has increased from five to seven years.
Traffic safety violations are another key area. Under the new law, anyone who operates a vehicle in a dangerous manner – whether by land, sea, air or rail – faces a minimum of four months in prison, up from three months. Drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or those otherwise unfit to drive safely, will now face a minimum sentence of six months.
The law introduces expanded options for sentence execution at home, particularly for vulnerable populations. Inmates who are elderly, ill or disabled and deemed unable to survive independently in prison conditions, and who do not pose a danger to public safety, will now be eligible to serve their sentences under house arrest. This includes those with aggravated illnesses, disabled individuals and convicts over 80. Their eligibility will be reassessed annually. Additionally, women who have given birth more than six months prior and received sentences of up to five years may also benefit from home confinement, provided certain conditions are met.
For other groups, such as children, individuals over 65 and the elderly in general, new regulations expand the scope of weekend or night-time incarceration, allowing them to serve short sentences without fully entering the prison system. For example, a convict may enter prison on Friday evening and leave Sunday night, or serve time overnight during the week. These decisions will take into account family and work obligations as well as the needs of the prison system.
The reform also introduces changes to parole eligibility. Inmates serving second-time repeat sentences – those who have reoffended after a previous conditional release – will now be eligible for parole after completing three-quarters of their sentence. Previously, these individuals had virtually no pathway to early release. For those with multiple determinate prison sentences, the total sentence that must be served for eligibility is capped at 32 years.
Another amendment relates to open prison inmates and juveniles nearing parole. Those with one year or less remaining in their sentence must now spend at least one-tenth of that period physically in prison to qualify for supervised release, setting a clearer structure for early reintegration.
Important revisions were also made in response to rulings by the Constitutional Court. In the Notary Law, the reform establishes a detailed framework for disciplinary procedures. Notaries can now face penalties ranging from warnings and fines to suspension and disbarment, depending on the severity of the misconduct. Repeat offenses committed within five years of a previous disciplinary decision will now result in a harsher penalty. The statute of limitations for initiating a disciplinary investigation is now set at three years from the time the offense becomes known, and no disciplinary punishment can be imposed if more than five years have passed since the act was committed.
In sum, the 10th Judicial Reform Package represents one of the most comprehensive overhauls to Türkiye's penal and procedural codes in recent years. The law touches nearly every stage of the justice process – from how crimes are punished, to how sentences are served, to how state professionals like notaries are held accountable.
Tunç emphasized that the reform aligns with the country’s broader judicial vision under the “Century of Türkiye” framework. “We will continue implementing the goals outlined in our Judicial Reform Strategy Document, and we will make this century one of justice.”
