15.12.2025 20:26
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that the new Traffic Law proposal will be discussed in the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly in the first week of January. With the new regulation consisting of 36 articles, traffic fines will be increased, and license revocation and long-term document withdrawal penalties will be applied for numerous violations.
A new and strict era is beginning against traffic rule violations. In the Traffic Law proposal prepared by the Ministry of Interior, heavy penalties are foreseen for behaviors such as running a red light, speeding, and aggressive driving, while the cancellation of thousands of drivers' licenses is on the agenda starting from January.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, who announced that the new Traffic Law containing the new regulations will be discussed in the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly in the first days of the new year, answered journalists' questions at the entrance of the General Assembly during his visit for the discussions on the 2026 Central Government Budget and the 2024 Final Account Law Proposal. In response to the question of when the changes in the Traffic Law will come to the agenda of the Parliament, Yerlikaya said, "The first week of January."
NUMBER OF LICENSE CANCELLATIONS WILL INCREASE
The new regulation aims to increase deterrence against traffic rule violations. Accordingly, penalties are being introduced for drivers who get out of their vehicles with the intent to attack during traffic disputes or who persistently follow another vehicle.
LICENSE CANCELLATION FOR RUNNING A RED LIGHT
One of the most striking articles in the regulation is related to red light violations. According to the proposal to be submitted to the Parliament, drivers who are found to have run a red light 6 times within a calendar year will have their licenses revoked. These drivers will also pay an administrative fine of 80,000 lira.
Drivers who cause a traffic accident by running a red light will have their licenses revoked for 60 days. The documents will only be returned if they pass a psychotechnical evaluation and there is no condition preventing them from being a driver.
SPEEDING WILL ALSO RESULT IN LICENSE CANCELLATION
For exceeding the speed limit within residential areas:
Those exceeding 46–55 km/h will have their licenses revoked for 30 days,
Those exceeding 56–65 km/h will have their licenses revoked for 60 days,
Those exceeding 66 km/h and above will have their licenses revoked for 90 days.
YIELD TO EMERGENCY VEHICLES!
Drivers who do not yield to vehicles with the right of way will face an administrative fine of 15,000 lira.
Drivers who do not yield or stop for ambulances, vehicles carrying injured or emergency patients, and vehicles fighting forest fires will be fined 46,000 lira and have their licenses revoked for 30 days.
PENALTY FOR NOISY VEHICLES
If modifications made to a vehicle cause noise that disturbs the environment, the driver will face an administrative fine of 16,000 lira.
UP TO 2 YEARS OF LICENSE SUSPENSION FOR SOME VIOLATIONS
For drivers who follow vehicles with the intent to attack or get out of their vehicles:
180,000 lira fine, 60 days of license suspension, 30 days of vehicle confiscation
For drivers using a mobile phone while driving: 5,000 lira fine
For racing drivers: 46,000 lira fine and a 2-year license revocation.
PRISON FOR FLEEING FROM AN ACCIDENT
Drivers who leave the scene of a traffic accident resulting in death or injury without the permission of the authorities and without a mandatory reason will face imprisonment of 1 to 3 years.