A new Turkish law allowing children aged 15 and above to be sentenced to life in prison, and those aged 12 and above to receive a maximum sentence of 27 years, has been widely condemned by human rights groups since it came into effect earlier this month.
The amendments to the Child Protection Law, which took effect on August 8, violate children’s rights by allowing those younger than 14 to be tried as adults, Human Rights Watch claimed. The organization also criticized provisions requiring detained children to be held in closed prisons rather than educational institutions aimed at rehabilitating them.
Children serving sentences over 3 years, if found guilty of criminal intent, and over 5 years, if found guilty of criminal negligence, are to be imprisoned in “closed juvenile correctional institutions,” with transfers to educational centers only possible if sanctioned by an assessment panel.
“Any serious crime committed by a child deserves a serious response, but locking up children for decades is neither just nor effective, and can be harmful and potentially counterproductive,” said Bill Van Esveld, associate children’s rights director at Human Rights Watch. “Child justice standards are grounded in science that establishes that children have the ability to grow and reform, so they should not be punished like adults.”
Under Turkey’s penal code, those sentenced to life in prison may only apply for conditional release after 24 years, though children sentenced to “aggravated life imprisonment” will need to wait 30 years for such a right.
"While some of the proposals may be positive – such as those that aim to ensure better coordination between child protection and education services and to prevent children from accessing firearms – others raise serious human rights concerns. I am particularly alarmed by the possibility that child offenders could be sentenced to life imprisonment,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said. “...A focus on rehabilitation and reintegration is essential to protect victims and to reduce re-offending. It contributes to safer communities for everyone”
Courts will decide if children over 12 understand the legal meaning of their actions
Courts will now decide whether children above the age of 12 are capable of “understanding the legal meaning and consequences of the act and of controlling their behavior in relation to the act.” If the child is not criminally responsible, the court may impose “security measures specifically designed for children.” However, if the child is deemed responsible, they may receive sentences of up to 27 years for serious crimes, including intentional murders.
“Punishing children as if they were adults ignores years of scientific findings as well as international law,” Van Esveld said. “With this law, the Turkish government has taken a step backward for public safety as well as children’s rights.”
Ankara made the changes to the criminal law seemingly in response to the fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old boy by 14-year-old Mattia Ahmet Minguizzi in January 2025. Minguizzi was sentenced to 24 years in prison for the crime, the maximum sentence he could receive at the time, angering a number of politicians who argued that the sentence was not a sufficient deterrent for young people.
Turkish child rights expert, Seda Akço, objects to new legislation
Though the legislation was pushed for by a number of lawmakers, it has also met with some domestic backlash. Seda Akço, a prominent Turkish lawyer, human rights defender, and child rights expert, told the Bianet news agency that the “real issue” of youth crime is not being addressed by the amendments.
"What kind of interventions exist in the execution system for children that will truly ensure behavioral change and eliminate the reasons driving them to crime? Can the execution system succeed here? Does it have appropriate psychosocial programs, or a suitable and adequate number of personnel? We need to talk about these,” she said. "The purpose of the penal execution system should not only be to deprive the child of liberty, but to create the conditions that will prevent them from being associated with crime again."