The mediation system introduced by the Justice Ministry in 2013 led to the resolution of more than 5.6 million cases, saving time by preventing court appearances.
The ministry said in a statement on Sunday that the system, "a great contribution to social peace,” has been a success so far.
Mediation, an alternative dispute resolution method that reduces courts’ caseload and speeds up judicial processes, enables parties to reach agreements more quickly and resolve disputes amicably.
Introduced into the Turkish legal system in 2012, mediation began to be applied on a voluntary basis after 2013. To date, a total of 9,273,260 cases have been submitted to the system. Of these, 5,630,707 were resolved through mutual agreement and amicable settlement, corresponding to an overall success rate of 62%.
Following the strong performance of voluntary mediation, which was launched in practice on Nov. 14, 2013, the Justice Ministry gradually expanded its scope. Mediation has since become an effective mechanism in disputes where it is a precondition to filing a lawsuit, including labor, commercial, consumer and rental disputes, as well as cases involving the dissolution of partnerships, condominium ownership, neighborhood law and agricultural contracts, allowing hundreds of thousands of cases to be resolved without going to court.
Observers say the steady expansion of mediation demonstrates the potential for a less adversarial and more communicative society, offering long-term benefits for both the legal system and social cohesion.
Mediator lawyer Fatma Bozkurt Saraç told Anadolu Agency (AA) that voluntary participation has played a major role in the system’s growth. Of the files concluded in 2025, about 920,000 stemmed from voluntary applications.
"In these cases, the parties themselves chose the mediator who would accompany them in resolving the dispute,” Saraç said. "At least 1.64 million parties resolved their disputes definitively and permanently in a short time, without waiting years for a hearing date, without litigation costs and without facing the risk of an unwanted judicial decision.”
She added that even when mediation does not end in an agreement, it enables parties to negotiate and communicate in a constructive manner. According to Saraç, the competence, impartiality and independence of mediators help ensure effective participation and encourage solutions that better meet the needs of both sides.
Mediation lawyer Semih Biten told AA that 2025 marked a turning point, showing that mediation in Türkiye has evolved into an established solution method rather than merely an alternative.
Nearly 2 million mediation applications were made last year, and the vast majority resulted in agreements, Biten said. "This picture reflects not only judicial statistics but also the mood of society,” he noted. "The culture of reconciliation in Türkiye has moved beyond the initial stage and is taking root. People increasingly understand the difference between being right and actually solving a problem.”