Minister Gürlek spoke clearly about the SSÇ: They will receive life imprisonment if necessary.

06.03.2026 12:00

Justice Minister Akın Gürlek spoke clearly about the recently criticized regulation regarding "Children Driven to Crime (CDC)." Stating that he finds the penalties for juvenile offenders insufficient, Minister Gürlek conveyed that in cases such as "murder," if necessary, children will also be subjected to aggravated life imprisonment like adults.

The Minister of Justice, Akın Gürlek, made statements on many agenda items during an iftar meeting with media representatives and answered questions from reporters. Minister Gürlek spoke clearly about the concept of "Children in Conflict with the Law (CCL)," which has started to be debated with the murder of Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi and the killings of children like Hakan Çakır, Alperen Ömer Toprak, and teacher Fatma Nur, which are not accepted by the conscience of society.

"IF NECESSARY, CHILDREN WILL RECEIVE LIFE IMPRISONMENT SENTENCES"

Stating that he finds the penalties for juvenile offenders insufficient, Minister Gürlek said, "A day or two that children spend in prison is counted. Children do not stay in a separate prison like other inmates. They stay in a juvenile facility, which has somewhat more suitable conditions. We will take the necessary steps in this regard. Especially if children need to receive aggravated life imprisonment sentences for murder or other crimes like adults, we will ensure they receive them. A commission has been established in the parliament for this regulation. We are discussing it from time to time in that commission. God willing, we will implement this regulation as well," he stated.

Highlights from Minister Gürlek's statements are as follows:

"WE HAVE VERY URGENT ISSUES AS THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE"

The press is an indispensable element of a democratic society. I certainly know the role you play in enabling the public to access information accurately, quickly, and reliably. You perform a very important duty as the eyes, ears, and voice of society. Uncovering the truth, expressing different opinions, and keeping the public conscience alive are undoubtedly your greatest responsibilities. For this reason, I would like to thank you for fulfilling this sacred duty. As the Ministry of Justice, we have very urgent issues. We will continuously come together. We will benefit from your ideas and opinions.

The agenda is very busy; you know the process of a Turkey without terrorism is continuing on one hand. On the other hand, there is a hot conflict area in our region.

I have occasionally given statements to my press colleagues regarding current issues, especially the 12th Judicial Package. Our work on this matter is ongoing.

In the meantime, I would like to reiterate this. On this occasion, I remember the very valuable journalist colleagues who lost their lives as a result of Israeli attacks in Gaza. I extend my condolences to our colleagues. Targeting journalists who are performing their duties is absolutely unacceptable. The safety of journalists is a shared responsibility of human rights under international law. I want to emphasize this again. Journalists are very valuable to us.

THE PROCESS OF A TURKEY WITHOUT TERRORISM

Now there is the process of a Turkey without terrorism. You will probably have questions regarding this. You know we met with the valuable delegation of the Dem Party. They first visited our Ministry of Interior. Then we held a meeting with me and two of our deputy ministers. You know a very nice negotiation text emerged in the Parliament. After the negotiation text, it came to the Justice Commission. After this stage, we informed the Justice Commission that we, as the Ministry of Justice, are technically ready to assist especially in the making of laws if the Justice Commission requests support.

Yesterday, we also had iftar with our Justice Commission President and members here. We discussed in general what kind of legal regulation should be made. Of course, they do not know exactly at the moment, but I read the consensus text. Some concepts are being discussed in the public. You know those concepts are not in the consensus text.

"REGULATIONS WITH A PERSONALIZED, GENERAL AMNESTY UNDERSTANDING CANNOT BE MADE"

We need to emphasize this. Here, regulations with a personalized, general amnesty understanding cannot be made. Our Justice Commission is aware of this. Temporary provisions will likely be introduced. We do not know which laws will be amended. It is at the discretion of our Justice Commission and later the Grand National Assembly, but you know changes will likely be made in laws such as the Penal Execution Law, Turkish Penal Code, and Criminal Procedure Law. Of course, our Grand National Assembly will draw the draft, method, form, and limits of this. I want to say again. We, as the Ministry of Justice, are not included in this process. We are only ready to provide support if our friends in the Parliament request it.

"WE ARE AT THE STAGE OF HARVESTING THE FRUITS OF THE PROCESS OF A TURKEY WITHOUT TERRORISM"

We attach great importance to the process of a Turkey without terrorism. You know for many years, for 40 years. We have all suffered from terrorism. It has reached a very beautiful stage. Especially under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and with the strong support of Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, it has reached a very important stage. We are now at the stage of harvesting the fruits of the process of a Turkey without terrorism. This is important for us.

However, it should be emphasized here. The prerequisite for the process of a Turkey without terrorism is primarily the complete disarmament of the organization and then the dissolution of the organization, which you know is also in the commission reports. It is necessary to confirm that the organization has laid down its arms and similarly ceased its actions. After that, legal regulations need to be made. You have probably all read the details on this matter.

"A EXPECTATION HAS NOW ARISEN IN SOCIETY"

We want the process of a Turkey without terrorism to come to an end. Yesterday, we also met with our Justice Commission President and members. We met with the delegation of the Dem Party as well. They also want the legal regulation to be made as soon as possible. Because an expectation has now arisen in society. Our society is ready. Our citizens hope that this environment of brotherhood and unity will now reach legal regulation. This is all I have to say regarding the process of a Turkey without terrorism. We will likely follow it just like you. If there is anything we need to do, we will help.

"DESPITE THE CHAOS AROUND US, BOTH OUR STATE AND OUR MILITARY ARE STRONG"

Another issue is that, unfortunately, there is a threat of war around us. You see that there is a hot conflict, especially in Iran. We are also a part of this region, but especially our country is currently a very safe area. Despite the chaos around us, both our state and our military are strong; Turkey is a resilient country. Regarding the establishment of security and stability in the region, both our President and our Minister of Foreign Affairs, along with all our ministers, have taken the necessary steps and held the necessary discussions to conclude this process peacefully.

We especially want stability in our region, and we want the establishment of lasting peace. Necessary discussions have been held on this matter. God willing, we hope to complete the process in a short time. Because this is the geography we live in. Of course, we do not want any turmoil here. We always want the door of peace to be opened and the path of peace to be followed. In this regard, our President has consistently maintained a warm dialogue since the very beginning of the process. He has met with various world leaders. God willing, we want this process to be completed as soon as possible. As Turkey, we want to continue happily with our neighbors.

12TH JUDICIAL PACKAGE 

The 11th Judicial Package has been enacted and came into force on December 25. The 12th Judicial Package was in the Parliament. After I was appointed as the Minister of Justice, we withdrew this package because I felt there were some deficiencies. Especially the expectations and demands of society are important. In general, there is a lack of trust in justice among our citizens. We are also researching this. When we ask why trust in justice is lacking, the first question that arises is the prolonged duration of trials, meaning our citizens are dissatisfied with this issue. We have delved into the root of this. Why are trials prolonged?

I come from practice, so I am knowledgeable about this issue. Because I am knowledgeable, I want to take immediate action. I want to move directly to implementation without a familiarization phase. We have worked on formulas with various colleagues. We have worked to minimize the grievances that arise as much as possible.

"RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 12.5 MILLION CASES IN 2025"

We must not forget this. Right now, we have 12.5 million cases in 2025. This number of cases is very high. We must emphasize this. There are no 12.5 million cases anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, we have a lot of cases pending in the judiciary. We need to take necessary steps to ensure that not every case and dispute goes to the judiciary.

"WE WANT TO EXPAND THE SCOPE OF RECONCILIATION AND MEDIATION"

You know that various steps have been taken before. The institution of reconciliation has been expanded, and the institution of mediation has been expanded, but our citizens definitely want to see the judge or prosecutor's face; they want to come to a courthouse. In the new package we will organize, we want to expand the scope of reconciliation and mediation again.

DIVORCE CASES

Especially divorce cases, as you know, continue for a very long time. These cases last 8 years, 10 years. During this process, our citizens pay alimony. They cannot establish a new life for themselves. In the 12th Judicial Package, especially in contentious divorce cases, if both parties agree that they are in agreement regarding the divorce, the judge will prepare a record and send it to mediation.

You know that if they accept the divorce, the mediation record will be prepared, and as soon as it is finalized and sent to the population registry, the divorce provisions will be finalized. However, of course, other provisions, such as ancillary provisions, namely alimony, material and moral compensation, or custody provisions, will continue. But at least, the prompt finalization of the case regarding the divorce is an important process for the person to sustain their life or to shape their future. God willing, we want to bring this as the implementation of mediation provisions in contentious divorce cases in the 12th Judicial Package. This is our first topic.

"WE WILL ESTABLISH PROJECTION OFFICES IN ALL COURTHOUSES"

I have previously stated in television programs that I participated in about speeding up the judiciary. Now there is a Bureau of Judicial Effectiveness and Efficiency in the HSK. What does this mean? A bureau was established in 2022. This bureau was established to monitor the decisions made by judges, to prevent delays, or to identify the reasons for delays if they occur regionally. Of course, this bureau is currently operational. What we want to do is actually establish projection offices in all courthouses without making a legal regulation. We have selected three pilot regions: Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara. We will establish liaison offices, that is, projection offices in all courthouses. We will also integrate the "Hello Justice" line here.

"WE WILL MONITOR COMPLIANCE WITH TARGET TIME"

What does this mean? It means that for a rent determination case or an eviction case, we know how long it should take to conclude these cases. A rent determination case should be concluded within 9 months. There is a target time in the judiciary. When a judge or prosecutor enters the case in UYAP, they know that the rent determination case will be concluded in 9 months. This is clear. But generally, it happens that this time is not adhered to. Why is it not adhered to? Because parties present new evidence, lawyers bring witnesses, or an expert examination is required. We see that this 9-month period has turned into 4 years or 5 years.

Now we will monitor compliance with this time. How will we monitor it? If a citizen applies and says that their rent determination case has not been concluded within the 9-month period, we will immediately have a team of legal professionals in the Bureau of Judicial Effectiveness and Efficiency in all courthouses. We will immediately get in touch. Our Commission President, as you know, is the administrative superior of the judges. Our Commission President will ask our judge friend why a case that should be concluded in 9 months has taken 4 years. The judge may say that the workload in Istanbul is very high. Of course, we will also use artificial intelligence here. If the workload is high, we will automatically see this from the HSK and immediately open a new court there. A new peace court or a new family court. Or they may say that my staff is insufficient. We will see this with artificial intelligence and provide additional clerical support. Or there may be a problem arising from the judge's personal circumstances. We should not say that, but there may be inadequacies.

In this case, there are already principle decisions. There are disciplinary provisions that judges and prosecutors are subject to. We will initiate the process regarding relocation, promotion, and appointment. Ultimately, if you cannot conclude a case that should be finished in 9 months in 4 years, I’m sorry, but you will have to face the consequences. We will say this, and we will enforce it strictly. I believe this process will be beneficial.

"CITIZENS WILL RECEIVE INSTANT FEEDBACK ON THEIR APPLICATIONS"

From the citizen's perspective, with the "Hello Justice" line, citizens will receive instant feedback on their applications made either via mobile phone, email, or by visiting the office in person. This way, our citizens will be informed about this issue.

In other words, our citizen will receive real-time information about why their case is prolonged. I believe this will create satisfaction from the perspective of our citizens as they feel taken into account. We want to implement this in a very short time. There is no change in the law. We will implement it by establishing contact offices. I think this process will be beneficial for judges to make the process as short as possible.

"WE HAVE GATHERED COMMERCIAL COURTS UNDER A SINGLE ROOF IN ISTANBUL"

To give another concrete example, a decision regarding commercial courts has already been published in the Official Gazette. We have gathered commercial courts under a single roof in Istanbul. As you know, there are commercial courts in Küçükçekmece, Bakırköy, Çağlayan, and Anadolu courthouses in Istanbul. There are a total of 35 commercial courts. Each commercial court in different locations has different practices.

"WE WANT TO BRING UNIFORMITY TO DECISIONS"

So, there is probably a lawyer here, you are all journalists, but in some cases, you know that precautionary seizures cannot be obtained from the Anadolu Courthouse, they go to Çağlayan to get it, or in bankruptcy cases, the company headquarters cannot obtain the decision from Çağlayan, the branch goes to Anadolu. In other words, there is no uniformity in decisions. By gathering commercial courts under the same roof, we want to bring uniformity to the application.

We want to bring uniformity to decisions, and we will definitely do this. Our colleagues who will serve as presidents in the Commercial Court will have at least 10 years of experience as commercial judges. They will start from being a commercial member. Later, if they meet the qualifications and merit, they will become the president of the commercial court. Because commercial cases are currently the most important cases in daily life. As you know, Istanbul is a trade city, a trade center. We have very large companies.

Our investors initially say that they do not trust your commercial courts, the cases take a long time. They say there is no legal security right. We have taken steps in this regard in a short time, and now we will physically provide a place and bring all the courts together. This also means having a legal security right.

"WE HAVE DETERMINED WHICH COURT WILL HANDLE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT CANCELLATIONS"

You know that a decision was published in yesterday's Official Gazette by the HSK. In this decision, we have specialized in administrative courts. As you know, there are Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) cases for administrative investors. A person makes a very large investment and comes to Turkey. Unfortunately, we need to make legal arrangements for this. The Seagulls Protection Association or a neighboring villager files a lawsuit against the EIA report. Normally, there should be party capacity, but this party capacity is interpreted very broadly. When they file a lawsuit against an EIA report, the cancellation case comes before the administrative court.

Unfortunately, as soon as the administrative court gives a stay of execution decision, all investments are left hanging. This has happened many times. Very large investors come. They want to provide employment. With the decision published in yesterday's Official Gazette, we have determined which disputes regarding EIA cancellations will be handled by which court in administrative courts. In other words, we have established a kind of specialization, and look here, expedited trials will be applied. Trials will be conducted quickly, and decisions will be made swiftly. This was a condition that business people wanted from us in terms of legal security. We hope to fulfill this.

"A FILE WILL NOT GO TO BOTH THE COURT OF APPEALS AND THE SUPREME COURT"

We have activities regarding the acceleration of trials. Inshallah, we will include this in the 12th Judicial Package. There is a staggered appeal mechanism. In other words, a file will not go to both the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. We are considering bringing this in the 12th Judicial Package to accelerate the judiciary. We will put some pressure on our judge colleagues. For appointment and promotion, we will now seek a certain decision and the approval of that decision from the Supreme Court as an absolute criterion. In other words, the judge will need to maintain a certain work visa to be promoted. The correctness of the decision they have made will also need to be ensured. In other words, that decision will also be approved by the Supreme Court. This has now become a must for us. We will receive real-time information from the field. This is the Efficiency and Productivity Bureau of the Judiciary, and since it is artificial intelligence, for example, there are many complaints regarding labor cases in Istanbul. We will immediately establish a labor court. There are many complaints regarding rent determination cases in Izmir. We will immediately establish a new rent court. We will try to respond to needs in real-time.

"I FIND THE PUNISHMENTS RELATED TO CHILDREN INSUFFICIENT"

Another issue we want to bring in the 12th Judicial Package, unfortunately, happened recently. A teacher, in the prime of her life at 44 years old, was brutally attacked by a 17-year-old student and lost her life. We were truly saddened. I extend my condolences to the teacher, her grieving family, and her students. Recently, you may have noticed that especially incidents involving children have increased.

Now, esteemed members of the press, this is a very broad area; the social structure of the family, the level of education, all of these need to be examined. In other words, why does a child tend to violence, why does a child get involved in violence? Our duty as the judiciary actually starts from the moment a crime is committed. Here, especially, I have discussed this with the Minister of Family and the Minister of National Education, and we need to establish a broad platform to prioritize the reasons that lead children to crime, starting from their family structure, social life, and educational life. In other words, why does a child go into the arms of criminal organizations? Why does a child tend to violence?

Look, this 17-year-old student, as you all probably know, had a psychological problem before. He had received a suspension from school. In other words, it was actually clear that this child would commit an act. We need to observe these, we need to show the process. We will investigate the reasons for these in a very broad and layered manner.

Of course, I find the punishments related to children insufficient; I have said this before. Unfortunately, there is a regulation in our law that special discounts have been made for children in the age range of 12-15 and 15-18. Also, as you know, there is a special privilege in the execution of the sentences received by children. One day or two days spent in prison counts as one day.Children do not stay in a separate prison like other inmates. They stay in a juvenile home, which is a prison with somewhat more suitable conditions. We will take the necessary steps in this regard.

"IF LIFE IMPRISONMENT IS REQUIRED, WE WILL ENSURE THEY RECEIVE IT"

Especially if children need life imprisonment for murder or other crimes like adults, we will ensure they receive it. A commission was established in the parliament for this regulation. We meet from time to time in that commission. Hopefully, we will implement this regulation as well.

Of course, the future of children is entrusted to us. We need to keep them away from environments that lead to crime. We also need to rehabilitate them after they commit crimes. In other words, they need to be reintegrated into society.

"THE NEW GENERATION OF STREET GANGS IS USING CHILDREN"

While I was serving in Istanbul, I saw a lot of this. Unfortunately, they call it the new generation of street gangs. I don't want to name names. They use children, children aged 12-15. In fact, let me be clear, they rent children from their families. We had identified this. They rent children from their families in Adana and Gaziantep. They bring them to Istanbul. Then they pat them on the back, saying, "You are a lion, you are a tiger," and use the children in crime. Why? Because the penalties for children are known. The duration of imprisonment for a child is known. After that child is released, they cannot escape the organization again. They engage in different actions.

As you know, we made regulations regarding this in the 11th Judicial Package. We increased the penalties for using children in crimes by criminal organizations, organization leaders, and organization members. We are considering increasing these penalties again in the 12th Judicial Package. Because children are entrusted to us. We are obliged to protect their future. The state does not only prevent crime. It also promises a social future for individuals. We need to take these measures for the future of our children. We want to make regulations regarding children in this way.

QUESTION-ANSWER

"TARGET TIME WILL BE APPLIED IN BOTH FIRST INSTANCE AND APPEAL"

We have come to the 11th Judicial Package. I agree with this; for example, in a release case, the citizen just won the case. They need to be released. But of course, this needs to be finalized in the appeal. There is a release decision, but they cannot be released. There is also a waiting period in the appeal, and they wait for 4 years in the appeal. Now, we will definitely make the target time applicable in the appeal process. We will say to the appeal court, for example, the 20th Civil Chamber is looking at this case. We will say that the 20th Civil Chamber needs to finish this case in 9 months. If you cannot finish it, then the first instance and appeal courts also need to comply with the target time set by the HSK.

The target time will be applied in both first instance and appeal. They also have a target time, and they must comply. If the chamber is insufficient in the appeal, we will establish a new chamber. In other words, a case that needs to be completed in the first instance in 9 months will also be completed in the appeal in a maximum of 9 months.

CHILDREN LED TO CRIME WHO COMMIT HONOR AND FAMILY CRIMES

In some countries, the responsibility for these children lies with their families. I mentioned this in a press program on television. It exists in America, it exists in Norway. We researched this in comparative law. Ultimately, the family is responsible for protecting and caring for the child. At the same time, a family has a supervisory duty. But of course, there is also personal responsibility for crimes. We cannot hold the family responsible for the crime committed by the child. But in our law, especially in the law of obligations, there is general fault liability, right? If there is fault, then they are generally responsible.

"FAMILIES MUST FOLLOW THEIR CHILDREN"

We have not made a regulation in this regard, but I often receive requests to make a regulation for families. However, we do not have a study on this issue. Families must especially take care of their children and supervise them. I mean, we all have children here. It is not enough to just send the child to school and give them pocket money. Families must definitely follow their children.

"WE ARE CONSIDERING STARTING THE AMATEM PROCESS BEFORE RELEASE"

In the 12th package, we have thoughts regarding the rehabilitation of children. We have thoughts about reintegrating the child into society before they are released from prison. Similarly, in the context of combating drug addiction. Now they are being released; how are they dragged back into the drug swamp? We have not yet fully legalized the issue of drugs. In other words, we have not been able to incorporate it into legal text. We have a thought like this. We are considering starting the AMATEM process while they are still in prison, 6 months before their release.

Generally, as you know, the AMATEM process starts after they are released, but of course, they do not go. They are released. At that time, they start looking for drugs again. We are considering making a regulation for this person to start the AMATEM process while they are still in prison, 6 months before their release.

SOCIAL MEDIA BAN FOR UNDER 16

Our Ministry of Family has submitted a bill. They are related to social media for individuals who have not completed the age of 16. We are currently still working on it. We hope to include it in the 12th package as well. Similarly, we have studies regarding individuals aged 16 and over entering social media, which involves entering with a verification code sent to their mobile phone. At the same time, we have studies regarding social media accounts that lead children to violence, gender neutrality, or deviant trends; Youtubers, Influencers, etc. There is currently a gap in the criminal law regarding them. We hope to fill that gap in the 12th Judicial Package.

IMRALI STATUS ISSUE

Now, of course, we are not following that process. We do not know what kind of regulation our esteemed Parliament will make there. I am also following the status issue from the press. I do not know about that. It is now up to the Parliament's discretion. We are currently only allowing delegations to go to Imrali.

REQUEST FOR ACADEMICS AND JOURNALISTS TO ENTER IMRALI

We are not currently considering that. Only certain delegations are allowed. We allow them in that regard. That process will be determined according to the route that our esteemed Parliament will draw.

IS DETENTION AN EXCEPTIONAL MEASURE?

Detention is generally an exceptional measure. The conditions are actually clear. There are conditions under the CMK. But sometimes it can be used very easily. Sometimes there are criticisms that it is not used in events that cause public outrage. The judge has discretion in detention, of course, but there must be a strong suspicion of a crime. There must be catalog crimes. But we pay attention to this. That is, an event that causes public outrage. What is an event that causes public outrage? For example, if a driver hits another driver in front of their spouse and child, this is considered an event that causes public outrage.

Here, our judges are applying for arrest measures. It is a proportional measure. In this way, the judge has discretion in arrest. That means we cannot interfere. It depends on the incident. However, there is a perception of insensitivity. Generally, when someone is not arrested, society perceives that the person has been acquitted, that they did not receive a punishment. This is wrong. These perceptions need to be corrected on social media as well. Because arrest is a matter of discretion. If the conditions are met, the judge will arrest. The prosecution also has the right to appeal if the judge of the Peace Criminal Court has rejected the request for arrest. Law is always a system that monitors and complements each other. Our judges are paying attention to the application in this regard.

"THE EXECUTION OF SENTENCES OTHER THAN TERROR CRIMES IS DIFFERENT"

Now, we do not have conditional release provisions for terror crimes. What does that mean? If someone has received aggravated life imprisonment, it is executed as aggravated life imprisonment. The execution of sentences other than terror crimes is different. It can be 30 years, it can be 36 years. If our parliament decides to make a change in the law regarding the execution of security measures, it will certainly be different. But in the current application, those who receive aggravated life imprisonment for terror crimes are executed as such. They do not get out early. That is up to our parliament.

THREATS TO VICTIM FAMILIES

This has already happened, as you know, there were threats against Minguzzi's family during the trial process. There is no need for a separate regulation here. Our prosecutor friends are already paying attention. They have all been arrested. There is no need for a separate regulation, but the victim and the crime victim must certainly be protected. There are already relevant regulations in our laws regarding this. We need to show sensitivity. I think like you in this regard. Unfortunately, they attacked the funeral in a disgraceful manner, they attacked the cemetery, they threatened the family, but as the prosecution, we have done what is necessary.

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE SALARY INCREASE AND PERSONAL RIGHTS

Our organization consists of 212,000 people. We have court personnel, penal personnel, judges, and prosecutors. Of course, we are in favor of making a regulation, but as you know, there is also the Ministry of Finance involved in this. If we can overcome that, hopefully, we can make a regulation. Thank you.

15,000 PERSONNEL RECRUITMENT

They said that we will immediately recruit 10,000 of them around April. The announcement will be made around April. 5,000 of them will be in June. Out of the 15,000 positions, 10,000 will be announced right after the holiday, around April. The remaining 5,000 will be announced in June.

CONDITIONS FOR MEETING WITH INMATES

This question had been asked by the press before. Some of our lawyers misunderstood. We already have a regulation for detainees. In cases of organization and terror crimes, if there are situations where detainees, especially convicts, convey the organization's instructions or act as couriers for the organization during meetings with our lawyers, these can be restricted, terminated, or limited to a certain time period by a court decision and concrete evidence. This regulation has been applied for years under Article 59 of Law No. 5275.

Now, we wanted to say this. There is no such regulation for detainees in terms of organization and terror crimes. Of course, the detainee is innocent. In the end, they can also be acquitted, but it can also be misused. I do not want to evaluate the situation on a case-by-case basis. I also gave an example. There were 280 lawyers who met with the Adnan Oktar organization. He was also detained, and the verdict was not finalized. Or another detainee said that 52 lawyers came to him in 3 days to give up on effective remorse. All of these are concrete. Attention should be paid to this.

First, there will be a court decision. Second, there will be a terror organization crime. Third, if there are concrete situations where the lawyer acts as a courier for the organization, carries the organization's instructions outside, or exerts pressure on the person inside not to find effective remorse, the meeting between the lawyer and the detainee can certainly be restricted, monitored, or kept for a certain period of time with a court decision.

We have also examined this by the European Court of Human Rights. The European Court of Human Rights has stated that if there is a decision given by a court and concrete evidence, the restrictions made in this way for organization and terror crimes are reasonable. We are considering bringing this up as a deficiency in the 12th package.

STATEMENT OF A CONVICT IN PRISON TO THE PRESS

He is using social media. How does this happen? It comes back to what we wanted to say earlier. Normally, he should not be doing this. However, there are other laws regarding this. That is, the detainee or convict has the right not to use social media. We do not have such a thing. How is he doing this? We investigated. Journalists do not enter the facility. Generally, there are notes given to the lawyer. The meetings between the lawyer and the detainee cannot be monitored in any way. The notes he gives can be freely sent outside. This is generally how it happens. It is not that a journalist enters and interviews him. It is the way that the notes he gives to his lawyer are sent outside.

"WE WILL UPDATE THE LAWS AGAIN"

March 8 is International Women's Day, and we are certainly sensitive about that. Just like children, women are among our sensitive groups. You know, our ministry has a Victim Rights Department. It follows these processes. There are problems in the implementation of Law No. 6284. We see that ourselves. Especially in Article 5, there are protective measures. Who will implement these measures, the police or the prosecutor? We are reviewing this again regarding Law No. 6284. Some penalties related to women have already been increased gradually before. If the crime victim is a woman, the penalties given directly have been increased. We will update the laws again. If there is something that needs to be done, we will do it. However, I see that there is a disruption in the implementation of protective measures in Law No. 6284. We will work on an update regarding this.

"THE JUDICIAL PROFESSION IS DEFINITELY A PROFESSION THAT CANNOT BE UNDERMINED"

We will have concrete regulations regarding the acceleration of the judiciary in the 12th package. As I just explained, there will be regulations on Jumping Appeals, the Effectiveness Bureau of the Judiciary, the promotion of judges, the introduction of certain criteria, and judges who do not pass certain decisions from the Court of Cassation will not be promoted. The penal reward system. These are certainly steps we will take for acceleration. Our legislative work has not yet been completed. Our friends are also looking at the demands coming from society together. These will definitely be done.

Regarding the other issue you mentioned, that is, human trafficking and autonomous structures, we certainly will not allow these. I did not allow them when I was working in Istanbul either. But these need to be concretely evidenced. They need to be documented.

As you know, there is a Complaint Bureau for judges and prosecutors. Our citizens can comfortably file complaints. I am very sensitive about this issue. I believe our HSK members are also very sensitive. Whenever there is something that could cast a shadow on even the slightest judicial matter, we definitely allow for an inspector's investigation and pursue it to the end. The profession of judgeship is absolutely a profession that cannot be shadowed. Judgeship must not cast a shadow on impartiality. Also, the judge must not express their personal political views in the case they are examining. We are very sensitive about this.

I also want to say this. Especially, as I mentioned yesterday, some of our judge and prosecutor friends have been sharing such photos related to their operations, taking pictures with police officers on social media. These things are happening, statements are being made. These are wrong. We are monitoring this process as well. We are against judges and prosecutors using social media. Judges and prosecutors should speak through their files and decisions. In other words, their presence on social media, making statements, or sharing photos of operations they conducted is wrong. I want to emphasize this.

"THE LAW ON ATTORNEYS CAN OF COURSE BE UPDATED"

As far as I know, attorneys have advertising and ethical rules. The bar initiates its own process regarding these. Attorneys cannot advertise. There are ethical rules in this regard.

Of course, this is not a matter that concerns us. It is a process operated by the bars. The Law on Attorneys can certainly be updated. We currently have 206,000 attorneys. We are aware of their problems. We especially know that they are in a difficult economic situation. I mentioned this yesterday as well. We have some thoughts on this. Especially, transactions exceeding a certain amount in the land registry must be made mandatory with the participation of attorneys.

We have particularly increased the quality in the field of law recently. You know, the entrance to the Faculty of Law was initially limited to the top 125,000. We reduced this to the top 100,000. Similarly, we prevented entry to the Faculty of Law through vertical transition exams. And we introduced an entrance exam for legal professions. As you know, it was implemented last year. There is a 23% success rate. So it was probably a bit difficult. But we definitely want the Faculty of Law and the profession of attorneyship to be a quality profession. Of course, bars will implement a ban on advertising or disciplinary provisions in this regard.

The other issue is that you claim there is a gap in the laws of municipalities. You know that there is constant auditing by the Court of Accounts in municipalities. Similarly, inspectors from the Ministry of Interior also conduct audits. These should generally be integrated with the prosecutor's office. If the Court of Accounts finds a criminal element after its examination, it must report it to the prosecutor's office. I do not know this. I do not know whether the municipalities we previously operated in passed the Court of Accounts audit or whether we received a report on this matter.

"A PROCESS CARRIED OUT BY THE GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TURKEY WITHOUT TERRORISM"

We are not part of this process. Let me say it again. This is entirely a process carried out by the esteemed Assembly. It first goes to the Justice Commission. The Justice Commission will conduct a study here. Then it will come to the General Assembly. We are only providing technical assistance, especially our General Directorate of Legal Affairs and our General Directorate of Laws are experienced in this regard. Our colleagues are providing technical assistance. The entire process of making laws, the discretion, the method, and what it will cover belongs to the Assembly. We are not part of this process.

The process regarding Selahattin Demirtaş is currently a separate ongoing process. There is an ongoing process regarding him.

"OUR COUNTRY NEEDS A CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE"

Regarding constitutional change, I mean, is there a need for a constitutional change for a terrorism-free Turkey? I think that the need can be met by making changes to the fundamental laws at this point. But generally, I say this: There is a need for a constitutional change not only for the terrorism-free Turkey process but also for our country in general. We have incomplete constitutions in this regard. You know the 1982 coup constitution. It has turned into a patchwork, with constant changes being made. Of course, the constitution needs to be addressed and changed. But for the terrorism-free Turkey process, it is sufficient to make changes to the Penal Code, the Penal Security Execution Law, and other laws.

"WE LOOK AT WHETHER THERE IS A CRIME OR NOT"

There is no connection between individuals and a public prosecutor. The public prosecutor looks at whether there is a crime or not. The positions, ranks, and duties of individuals do not matter here. Whether that person is a mayor, an artist, or rich or poor is not the duty of the public prosecutor. When I conducted that investigation, I looked at it this way. Whether that person is a mayor is not important to us. We look at whether there is a crime or not. In that respect, I do not care about that person's statements about me. I only performed my duty as a public prosecutor. I am at peace with my conscience.

As you know, a trial phase begins. In law, there is this: Every decision can be reviewed. For example, all the decisions I made previously have been passed by the Court of Cassation. The legal system actually complements each other. If a prosecutor makes a wrong decision, the higher court will overturn it on appeal. If the court makes a wrong decision, the Court of Cassation will overturn it. We do not have a problem with individuals here.

"MOST OF THE EVIDENCE IN THE INDICTMENT IS CONCRETE EVIDENCE"

There was an investigation into corruption and fraud or tampering with a large tender. We looked at the file by concealing the names of the individuals. Our colleagues prepared an indictment in this regard. Whether the person is a mayor or their name is Ekrem or Veli does not concern us. If the public prosecutor has strong suspicion of a crime, they will refer it for arrest. If there is reasonable suspicion, an investigation will be initiated. Later, there will be a phase of completing the evidence. You have read the indictment. Most of the evidence in the indictment is concrete evidence. MASAK reports, witness statements, effective remorse statements, money movements, HTS base station records. The investigation proceeded in this way. We have no issues or concerns regarding individuals. As a prosecutor, we performed our duty at that time.

STRATEGY TO CREATE A POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE FOR INDIVIDUALS

They constantly did the same to us.I only know that sometimes I filed a lawsuit for moral compensation. We have also won some cases related to them. I mean, they have the right to defense, which is sacred in some way. They will defend themselves. But here, mixing my personal involvement in the matter is a wrong feeling. I performed my duty as the Chief Public Prosecutor. I mean, whether he is the Mayor or holds another position does not concern me.

REASONABLE TIME FOR İBB CASE

You know that the trial will start on March 19. 40th Heavy Criminal Court. In that regard. I mean, the trial is under the control of the court. I don't know when it will end, but there is no reasonable time in such cases. There is no reasonable time in heavy criminal cases. Now, as far as I know, there are 406 defendants.

Of course, the practice is like this, but only a single panel will look at this case. I mean, this panel has no other files. It consists of experts from the foundation. A Public Prosecutor is assigned to the prosecution panel. I don't know how long it will take to complete this. But, you know, defenses are being taken. Later, witnesses are heard. There is a phase of discussing the evidence. This will be a method that will be conducted entirely under the control of the court, the panel, and the panel chair.

DIVORCE CASES AND ALIMONY ISSUE IN THE 12TH JUDICIAL PACKAGE

Now we have two types of divorce cases. One is a consensual divorce case, and the other is a contentious divorce case. In a consensual divorce, if both parties agree on everything, material and moral compensation or so on is immediately given like a hearing. The decision is finalized. Here, what you mean is probably that in a consensual divorce, the parties should go to family mediation. Especially psychologists and pedagogues should listen to the children. Healthy decisions should be made. We are thinking about this. It is also on our mind. But what we want to bring is the mediation system in contentious divorce cases.

"THERE IS NO REGULATION REGARDING ALIMONY IN THIS PACKAGE"

There is none in this package, there is no regulation regarding alimony. Because, as you know, alimony has a very different layer. There is no regulation regarding alimony in this package.

"WE DO NOT THINK ABOUT REGULATION ON INDIVIDUAL APPLICATIONS"

Individual application is a very important gain. Especially at the Constitutional Court, citizens go for cases that have been finalized in the first instance or at the Court of Cassation. Here, of course, the Constitutional Court can interpret individual applications a bit differently. We do not think about making a regulation in this regard. The decisions given by the Constitutional Court are already binding. I mean, the super court of appeal is, in my opinion, meaningless in these discussions.

This individual application is especially an important gain obtained in the constitutional amendment.