22.04.2026 00:51
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek signaled a legislative change in the fight against illegal betting. Reminding that under the current system, illegal betting is a 'misdemeanor' rather than a 'crime,' Minister Gürlek emphasized that this situation should be brought under the scope of a crime requiring imprisonment.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek made evaluations regarding the agenda on the live broadcast program he attended.
The highlights from Minister Gürlek's statements are as follows:
ILLEGAL BETTING, ONLINE GAMBLING AND DRUG INVESTIGATIONS
"Illegal betting, online gambling and drugs are our bleeding wounds. We will go all the way on these issues. 1,516 operations were carried out in February and March. Proceedings were initiated against 15,306 suspects. 4,873 suspects were arrested. Illegal betting is not a crime, it is a misdemeanor. A regulation must be made. It must be turned into a crime. Punishment must be given. It is not a crime for the player, but it is a crime for the place provider who enables playing. We have learned their systems. They have methods. Currently, only a fine is given to the player.
THE ISSUE OF "CHILDREN DRIVEN TO CRIME"
Studies have been conducted regarding street gangs. Operations are being carried out. There are children driven to crime. A commission was established in the Parliament. I also met with victim families. We saw that consciences were hurt by the penalties given to children driven to crime. We will increase these penalties. The penalties for those who use children have also been increased. The penalties for children driven to crime will be increased.
SCHOOL RAIDS: THE CHILD WAS NOT TAKEN TO A PSYCHOLOGIST
In the incident in Kahramanmaraş, the father was arrested. The mother was also referred for questioning. This child is a troubled child. Our guidance teacher said that the child urgently needed to see a psychologist. The child was not taken. There is negligence by the parents. 5 weapons were found in the house. A regulation needs to be made on how licensed weapons should be stored. Licensed weapons must be stored at home under certain conditions. The father should have kept them in a secure place.
15-YEAR AGE LIMIT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
In the Parliament, there is a regulation by our Ministry of Family for children who have not completed the age of 15. The person who wants to use a social media account will enter with their Turkish ID number. A verification code will be obtained via e-Government and social media will be accessed with it. An account can be created with a 'nickname' but you will need to provide your ID number. Catalog crimes are specified. We have created these. These will be forwarded to the platform where the account is located, and if a crime is committed, information will be requested."