17.07.2026 07:00
The Turkish Parliament's Justice Committee approved the first two articles of a regulation that increases penalties for children dragged into crime. According to the draft, those who negligently allow a firearm to fall into the hands of a child will face up to 3 years in prison. Additionally, children aged 15-18 who commit crimes requiring aggravated life imprisonment may face 19 to 27 years in prison, and for certain serious crimes, judges will be granted the authority to not apply age reductions.
The first two articles of the Draft Law on Amendments to the Child Protection Law and Certain Laws, discussed in the TBMM Justice Commission, were accepted. After approximately 12 hours of negotiations, it was decided to address the remaining articles of the draft on Tuesday, July 21.
UP TO 3 YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR THOSE WHO LET A CHILD GET THEIR HANDS ON THEIR WEAPON
According to the accepted regulation, a new provision is added to the Law on Firearms, Knives, and Other Tools. Accordingly, a person who fails to store their firearm with due care and attention, causing it to fall into the hands of a child, will be punished with 1 to 3 years of imprisonment, provided no more serious crime occurs.
PENAL SYSTEM FOR CHILDREN IS CHANGING
With the amendment to the Turkish Penal Code, children between the ages of 12 and 15 at the time of the offense will not have criminal liability if they cannot perceive the legal meaning and consequences of the act or if their ability to direct their behavior is insufficiently developed. However, security measures specific to children will be applied to these individuals.
For those in the 12-15 age group found capable of understanding the meaning and consequences of the act, prison sentences ranging from 13 to 18 years for crimes requiring aggravated life imprisonment, and 10 to 12 years for crimes requiring life imprisonment, may be imposed. For other crimes, sentences will be reduced by half, and the prison term cannot exceed 9 years.
For children in the 15-18 age group, prison sentences ranging from 19 to 27 years for crimes requiring aggravated life imprisonment, and 15 to 18 years for crimes requiring life imprisonment, will be applied. For other crimes, sentences will be reduced by one-third, and the prison term cannot exceed 15 years.
JUDGE'S DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY ON AGE REDUCTION
Under the new provision added to the Turkish Penal Code with the draft, for children in the 15-18 age group who commit intentional killing or aggravated injury resulting in severe consequences, the judge may decide not to apply age reduction based on the specifics of the case. Similarly, for children in the 12-15 age group, it will be possible to apply the penal regime for the upper age group.
After the acceptance of the first two articles of the draft in the commission, it was decided to continue the discussions on Tuesday, July 21.