17.03.2025 10:46
This week, the Turkish Grand National Assembly will discuss a law regarding the increase of traffic fines. According to the new proposal, transporters who do not take measures to ensure that passengers have a healthy, comfortable, and safe journey, or who do not take passengers to the promised destination, will face administrative fines ranging from 17,000 to 170,000 Turkish Lira.
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This week in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), the law proposal that foresees the increase of retirement holiday bonuses from 3,000 TL to 4,000 TL will be discussed, along with Turkey's first Climate Law, which will establish general principles regarding climate change. The Climate Law Proposal is criticized on the grounds that it is "prepared with commercial concerns, prioritizes corporate interests over public interests, will impose socioeconomic costs on workers, and lacks clear provisions on how to abandon the use of fossil fuels and how to end the use of coal in electricity production."
8 THOUSAND ATHLETES WILL BE TRAINED
This week, the TBMM will continue its work in the General Assembly and Committees. In the General Assembly, it is expected that the 18-article Youth and Sports Services Law, which includes retirement holiday bonuses, and the 20-article Climate Law Proposal will be discussed. According to the Youth and Sports Services Law and the Law Proposal for Amendments to Some Laws, the Ministry of Youth and Sports will train 8,000 athletes in Olympic, Paralympic, and Deaflympic sports to prepare for each summer and winter Olympic, Paralympic, and Deaflympic Games. These athletes will receive a monthly allowance, not exceeding the net minimum wage, with different amounts determined as necessary.
PENALTIES FOR ADMINISTRATIVE FINES IN THE ROAD TRANSPORTATION LAW ARE INCREASING
With the law proposal, administrative fines in the Road Transportation Law are being increased. Those who use their vehicles without registering them with the authorization certificate, those who carry dangerous goods without obtaining permission from relevant places outside the authorization certificate, and those who refrain from providing transportation services will face administrative fines ranging from 8,500 TL to 85,000 TL. If a transporter obstructs the transportation activities of another transporter, a fine ranging from 25,000 TL to 250,000 TL will be imposed.
PENALTY FOR VIOLATING PASSENGER COMFORT IS 170 THOUSAND TL
Transporters who violate the safe transportation of passengers and goods, as well as passengers and senders who do not implement the security measures taken by the transporter, will face fines ranging from 5,000 TL to 50,000 TL. Additionally, transporters who act against environmental protection will also face the same amount of fines. Transporters who do not take measures to ensure that passengers have a healthy, comfortable, and safe journey, and who do not take passengers to the promised destination, will face administrative fines ranging from 17,000 TL to 170,000 TL. Transporters who do not comply with the necessary rules regarding vehicles and drivers will also face fines ranging from 8,500 TL to 85,000 TL.
85 TL FINE FOR CARRYING PASSENGERS WITHOUT TICKETS
Those who do not regulate fare and time schedules, those who do not comply with fare and time schedules, and those who apply illegal fare and time schedules will face fines ranging from 8,500 TL to 85,000 TL. Those who carry passengers without tickets and those who engage in uncontracted transportation will be fined between 8,500 TL and 85,000 TL. Those who do not display fare and time schedules visibly at workplaces, terminals, and ticket sales locations will face administrative fines ranging from 3,500 TL to 35,000 TL. Transporters who do not take necessary precautions regarding drivers with high penalty points will face administrative fines ranging from 5,000 TL to 50,000 TL.
Those who transport passengers or goods to border gates in violation of laws and contracts between the transporter and the passenger, and those who transfer from there will face administrative fines ranging from 8,500 TL to 85,000 TL. Transporters who pick up and drop off passengers outside terminals and intermediate stops will face fines ranging from 5,000 TL to 50,000 TL.
PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE REQUIREMENT FOR OPERATORS
Operators who operate without a professional competence certificate will face fines ranging from 8,500 TL to 85,000 TL. Additionally, drivers who use vehicles without a professional competence certificate will face fines ranging from 3,500 TL to 35,000 TL, and operators will face administrative fines ranging from 8,500 TL to 85,000 TL. Regardless of whether the driver is a Turkish citizen, penalties applied to foreign-registered vehicles will not allow these vehicles to leave the country without paying tolls. These receivables can also be collected by authorized units at customs gates by informing the driver without requiring notification. The provision that foresees changes in the Road Transportation Law will come into effect 6 months after the publication date of the regulation.
RETIREMENT HOLIDAY BONUS WILL BE 4 THOUSAND TL
With the law proposal, the amount of the retirement holiday bonus will be increased from 3,000 TL to 4,000 TL. With the amendment to the Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Law, those who leave their position for any reason while being the President will be granted an old-age pension starting from the beginning of the month following the application date, calculated by multiplying the 140,690 indicator number by the civil servant monthly coefficient, upon their request. The name of the "Law on Allowances and Travel Expenses of the Vice Presidents and Ministers" has been changed to "Law on Allowances and Travel Expenses of the President, Vice Presidents, and Ministers," and a provision has been added stating that "all payments made to the President and the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey within the scope of financial and social rights will be paid as an allowance, exceeding 5% of the total." The amount to be paid as DHMI performance bonus will be calculated by multiplying the number of outgoing aircraft traffic at civil airports in Turkey by 40% of the civil servant monthly coefficient.
BIRTH ASSISTANCE REGULATION
Changes are being made to the decree law No. 633 regarding birth assistance. Turkish citizens will be eligible for a one-time or monthly birth assistance for live births occurring on or after January 1, 2025, provided they apply and reside in Turkey until the child turns 5 years old. The number of children eligible for birth assistance, the amount of assistance for each child, and the procedures and principles for the implementation of this provision will be determined by the President.
Birth assistance payments will be made from the Social Assistance and Solidarity Promotion Fund. Birth assistance will be paid without being subject to any tax or deduction and cannot be seized.
CLIMATE LAW PROPOSAL
This week, it is also expected that the Climate Law Proposal, which establishes general principles for combating climate change, will begin to be discussed in the TBMM General Assembly. This proposal, which will be Turkey's first Climate Law, is criticized for various reasons, including that it is "prepared with commercial concerns, prioritizes corporate interests over public interests, will impose socioeconomic costs on workers, and lacks clear provisions on how to abandon the use of fossil fuels and how to end the use of coal in electricity production."
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The proposal covers the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, which is essential in the fight against climate change, as well as adaptation activities, planning and implementation tools, revenues, permits and inspections, and the procedural and substantive framework related to these legal and institutional aspects.
PENALTIES ARE INCREASED
In the proposed law, administrative sanctions related to the obligations in the regulation have also been determined. Accordingly, those who do not submit the verified greenhouse gas emission report within the specified time, in violation of the prohibitions or restrictions regarding the monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions, will be fined between 500,000 Turkish liras and 5 million Turkish liras. Those who use, import, trade, and market substances that deplete the ozone layer, in violation of the procedures and principles determined by the legislation regarding substances that deplete the ozone layer, will be fined 2.5 million Turkish liras. Individuals and legal entities providing maintenance, repair, and service for products or equipment containing substances that deplete the ozone layer will be fined 250,000 Turkish liras, and those who do not comply with the labeling provisions of products or equipment containing substances that deplete the ozone layer will be fined 120,000 Turkish liras.
ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OFFICIALS WILL BE HEARD IN THE KARTALKAYA COMMISSION
On Tuesday, officials from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change will be heard in the Commission for Investigating the Fire at a Hotel in Kartalkaya. On Wednesday, officials from Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa and Sakarya University Fire Application and Research Center will provide information. In the Artificial Intelligence Research Commission, on Tuesday, officials from the General Directorate of Information Technologies of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, Prof. Dr. Ufuk Akçiğit from the University of Chicago, and İlker Kuruöz from Garanti Bank will make presentations. In the Foreign Affairs Commission, on Thursday, the proposals for approval, including the "Draft Law on the Approval of the Agreement on the Extradition of Criminals between the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the Government of the United Arab Emirates" and the "Draft Law on the Approval of the Agreement and its Additional Protocol on the Prevention of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Tax Evasion between the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the Government of the Gabon Republic" will be discussed. Group meetings of the parties will be held in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on Tuesday and Wednesday. Meanwhile, as part of the visits initiated by the DEM Party delegation following the call of the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan for the organization to lay down arms, visits to the AK Party and MHP will take place in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey tomorrow.