14.07.2026 10:30
AK Party Deputy Group Chair Leyla Şahin Usta made statements regarding the regulations for children involved in crime. Usta said, "We are increasing the lower and upper limits of penalties; life imprisonment may be imposed on those aged 15-18."
AK Party Deputy Group Chair Leyla Şahin Usta made statements regarding the regulation on Children Dragged into Crime (SSÇ).
Sharing the details of the regulation, Usta stated that juvenile offenders aged 15-18 involved in serious crimes such as "premeditated murder" could receive life imprisonment.
WHAT ARE THE DETAILS OF THE REGULATION?
Highlights from Usta's statements are as follows:
"The Parliamentary Investigation Commission established within our Grand National Assembly, formed to examine all dimensions of the causes leading children to crime, develop protective and preventive mechanisms, and determine what needs to be done to ensure children's effective participation in social life, has completed its work and submitted its report to the Presidency of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
In the process of preparing this proposal, by making use of the said report, we want to present the proposal we prepared with our esteemed commission members through our studies before you today.
We hope that the proposal prepared with this understanding will be beneficial for our country, our nation, and our citizens.
"CHANGES IN 7 DIFFERENT LAWS"
Dear members of the press. The proposal envisages changes or regulations in 7 different laws and consists of a total of 18 articles, including enforcement and entry into force provisions.
The proposal includes very important regulations aimed at preventing crime, ensuring deterrence, protecting individuals' life safety, strengthening social peace, ensuring justice in punishment, and protecting children and enabling them to be rehabilitated more effectively.
Now I would like to present you some information about the regulations in the proposal. Children's involvement in crime is a multidimensional problem faced not only by our country but also by many countries around the world.
In recent years, the increase in serious violent incidents involving children, the decreasing age of crime, and the exploitation of children by criminal organizations have made it necessary to re-evaluate the current system according to today's needs.
Within this scope, in our proposal, the lower and upper limits of prison sentences are increased through regulations made in the second and third paragraphs of Article 31 of the Turkish Penal Code.
Additionally, taking into account the severity of intentional fault, the purpose pursued, the method of committing the crime, and having previously been sentenced to imprisonment for an intentional crime, a regulation is envisaged for children aged 15-18 who commit the crimes of premeditated murder and aggravated injury due to its consequences, whereby, at the discretion of the judge, no sentence reduction is applied.
Thus, for children aged 15-18, if the conditions I have listed are met, a regulation is implemented that allows them to receive life imprisonment or aggravated life imprisonment at the discretion of the judge.
Similarly, for children aged 12-15 who commit the crimes of premeditated murder and aggravated injury due to its consequences, in the presence of certain conditions, the judge is given discretionary power to apply a lesser sentence reduction and enable them to receive a sentence.
Again, by lowering the age limit for applying recidivism provisions in the Turkish Penal Code from 18 to 15, it is aimed to prevent the use of children aged 15-18 in crime, especially by criminal organizations, and to ensure deterrence. Taking into account the fundamental role in child development, the lower and upper limits of penalties for the crime of violation of obligations arising from family law in the Turkish Penal Code are also increased. In case a child commits the crime of premeditated murder or aggravated injury due to its consequences because of the violation of obligations arising from family law, it is aimed to strengthen the family's responsibility over the child by increasing the penalty to be given to parents under this article by up to two times more than half.
Details coming...