Türkiye
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Abolitionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · In Turkey offenses punishable by death under ordinary...
- News items in the archive
- 321
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Türkiye is classified as Abolitionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 321 news items on Türkiye, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- JULY 23, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
The draft bill presented by Deputy Prime Minister Mesut...
The draft bill presented by Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz to political party leaders regarding the EU regulations proposes changes on 14 laws, including the of the death penalty and its replacement with life imprisonment
- JULY 12, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that he would have...
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that he would have to step down if resignations continue and the government loses the absolute majority in the parliament to win vote of confidence
- JULY 11, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
The relatives of prisoners, in collective statements,...
The relatives of prisoners, in collective statements, called for the elimination of the death penalty and for passing a general amnesty in Turkey
- JULY 10, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Turkey's ailing prime minister Bulent Ecevit is coming...
Turkey's ailing prime minister Bulent Ecevit is coming under increasing pressure to step down as a revolt against him grows
- JULY 10, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Early elections in Turkey seem inevitable after 32...
Early elections in Turkey seem inevitable after 32 MPs deserted ailing Prime Minister's s Bulent Ecevit Democratic Left Party
- JULY 6, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Ankara High Criminal Court No
Ankara High Criminal Court No
- JUNE 29, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said that provision...
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said that provision that the terrorist convicts who were sentenced to death penalty and whose punishment was commuted to life imprisonment would not benefit from conditional release could be included in a law that would b
- JUNE 28, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
A public poll carried out by Turkey Economic and Social...
A public poll carried out by Turkey Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) showed that 90 percent of the Turkish people were not satisfied with democracy in Turkey and 58 percent of the Turkish society didn't know what Copenhagen criteria were
- JUNE 21, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said that they cannot...
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said that they cannot refrain from taking up the abolition of death sentence by saying that this issue was among medium term commitments
- JUNE 21, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Main opposition True Path Party [DYP] leader Tansu...
Main opposition True Path Party [DYP] leader Tansu Ciller has said that parliament should refrain from going into recess in order to allow a comprehensive debate on the commitments made for the EU process, not only the death penalty issue, but the cultura
- JUNE 19, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
The official note on the execution of the death penalty...
The official note on the execution of the death penalty passed against Salih Izzet Erdis, the ringleader of the illegal IBDA-C [Islamic Great Eastern Raiders Front] organization, has been submitted to the [National] Assembly Speaker's Office
- JUNE 19, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep...
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that they would not say 'yes' to the proposal of the Democratic Left Party (DSP) regarded with abolishment of death sentence, noting that their party prepared a constitutional amend
- JUNE 19, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader...
Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz said that he was losing his hope about fulfilment of European Union (EU) criteria
- JUNE 17, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that True Path Party...
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller was standing in the way of Turkey abolishing the death penalty
- JUNE 17, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Democratic Left Party (DSP) directors met with Felicity...
Democratic Left Party (DSP) directors met with Felicity Party (SP) directors within the framework of their initiative to lift death sentence
- JUNE 14, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Democratic Left Party (DSP) deputy leaders Emrehan...
Democratic Left Party (DSP) deputy leaders Emrehan Halici, Zeki Sezer and Tayfun Icli and deputy secretary general Suleyman Yagiz met with Ali Riza Gonul and Ali Naci Tuncer of True Path Party (DYP) to discuss the abolition of death sentence
- JUNE 14, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said "we can reach...
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said "we can reach a consensus of opinion with the opposition, if it does not insist on constitutional amendment to lift death sentence
- JUNE 14, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Presidential Foreign Affairs Chief Adviser Tacan Ildem...
Presidential Foreign Affairs Chief Adviser Tacan Ildem during the weekly press briefing said that President Ahmet Necdet Sezer stressed on the necessity that parliamentary works had to be accelerated in order to make the initiatives aiming at abolishing o
- JUNE 13, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Together with DSP deputy chairmen Zeki Sezer, Tayfun...
Together with DSP deputy chairmen Zeki Sezer, Tayfun Icli and Suleyman Yagiz, Halici paid visits to the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the Motherland Party (ANAP), and the Justice and Development Party groups to abolish death sentence
- JUNE 12, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Premier Bulent Ecevit said he did not foresee any problems...
Premier Bulent Ecevit said he did not foresee any problems in gaining support from the opposition Islamist parties for the reform amid Turkey's efforts to begin EU membership talks by the end of 2002
- JUNE 11, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader...
Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz said that the parties in Parliament were searching for an agreement on the issues of the death penalty and teaching and broadcasting in mother tongues
- JUNE 10, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Turkey has appealed to Libya not to execute two Turkish...
Turkey has appealed to Libya not to execute two Turkish nationals sentenced to death for murder
- JUNE 7, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer summoned the heads...
Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer summoned the heads of all parties to discuss the reforms Turkey must implement to start membership talks with the European Union
- JUNE 3, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Hans-Christian Kruger, deputy secretary-general of...
Hans-Christian Kruger, deputy secretary-general of the Council of Europe, visited Ankara and made a speech at the Foreign Ministry
- MAY 31, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
The European Union (EU) Commission issued a written...
The European Union (EU) Commission issued a written statement pertaining to the decision and approaches of the National Security Council (NSC), noting that it perceived them as "positive signals"
- MAY 29, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
One of Turkey's most influential business groups, TUSIAD,...
One of Turkey's most influential business groups, TUSIAD, placed full-page advertisements in national newspapers calling on politicians not to squander the opportunity of joining the European Union
- MAY 29, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
The Turkish army is willing to accept the abolition...
The Turkish army is willing to accept the abolition of the death penalty on condition that the government ensure a life term for jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan
- MAY 28, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi said Turkey should wait...
Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi said Turkey should wait for a verdict from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) before asking the Parliament to ratify a death penalty verdict on terrorist Abdullah Ocalan
- MAY 28, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Devlet Bahceli, Turkey's deputy prime minister and...
Devlet Bahceli, Turkey's deputy prime minister and the leader of the second largest party in the coalition government, the rightist National Action Party (MHP) laid down five conditions before he would consider lifting the death penalty and other EU refor
- MAY 24, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
A survey published in Friday's Sabah newspaper showed...
A survey published in Friday's Sabah newspaper showed that in response to the question of whether Turkey should join the EU, 32