21.06.2026 18:30
Among the applications submitted to the Turkish Grand National Assembly Petition Commission, requests regarding the installment plan for paid military service fees, the prohibition of weddings, engagements, and similar ceremonies, granting families married for over 25 years with at least three children the right to purchase vehicles exempt from Special Consumption Tax, imposing compulsory military service for women who turn 20, having municipalities collect a pet ownership tax for adopted cats and dogs, and banning the construction of statues drew attention.
According to the information compiled from the May Activity Report of the Petition Commission of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), which examines the wishes and complaints submitted by citizens to the parliament, 1,076 applications were made to the Commission last month.
Out of the petitions, 163 came from women, and the most applications were made on topics related to "application procedures to the commission, labor and social security, and justice." The provinces with the highest number of applications to the Commission were Istanbul, Ankara, and İzmir, respectively.
REQUEST TO BAN WEDDING AND ENGAGEMENT CEREMONIES
A person who applied to the Petition Commission requested that weddings, engagements, and similar ceremonies be banned on the grounds that they create an economic and social burden during the marriage process.
Some citizens also wrote petitions to the Commission for legal regulations on various issues. Among the applications were requests for legal arrangements regarding providing SGK premium support to housewives, legally guaranteeing parental accompaniment during children's illnesses and considering health reports issued for children as valid for parents, imposing a "vacant property tax" on long-term empty houses, promoting the rental and conversion of existing houses, and banning the construction of statues.
RIGHT TO A VEHICLE WITHOUT SPECIAL CONSUMPTION TAX FOR THOSE MARRIED OVER 25 YEARS
Among the demands in the petitions submitted to the Petition Commission were notable requests such as: "Not covering the health expenses of smokers and alcohol users by the state, granting the right to purchase vehicles without Special Consumption Tax (ÖTV) to families married for over 25 years with at least three children, providing free internet quotas to every citizen, not counting weekend holidays as annual leave for public officials, installment payments for paid military service, and abolishing practices such as home foreclosure."
"COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE FOR WOMEN"
Other interesting demands were listed as follows: "Introducing compulsory military service for women reaching the age of 20, imposing an annual pet ownership tax collected by municipalities for adopted cats and dogs, strictly banning gender change and removing those who undergo it from Turkish citizenship, and granting tax exemptions for families with five or more children."
The Commission also plays an active role in resolving citizens' problems and meeting their demands.
"PETITIONS HAVE CREATED AN IMPORTANT DATA SOURCE FOR US"
Sunay Karamık, President of the TBMM Petition Commission and AK Party Adana Deputy, stated that they continue their activities with the awareness that every voice expressed by the public is a contribution that strengthens democracy.
Emphasizing that the right to petition is not only a means of individual application but also one of the most effective tools for citizens' participation in governance and conveying societal expectations to the Parliament, Karamık said, "The petitions reaching our Commission during this period have reflected the problems and expectations from different segments of society, creating an important data source for us. The demands voiced by our citizens across a wide spectrum, from daily life to public services, have shed light on our solution processes and reinforced our determination to further strengthen democratic participation."
Stating that the increase in applications through e-Government in line with the opportunities offered by digitalization has significantly enhanced the accessibility and effectiveness of the right to petition, Karamık noted that the Petition Commission contributes to the development of the e-democracy concept through its pioneering work in this transformation and encourages citizens' direct participation in governance.