Criminal Procedure Code No. 5271 (Ceza Muhakemesi Kanunu)
The Criminal Procedure Code No. 5271 governs how criminal investigations and trials are conducted in Turkey. For a foreign national caught up in a case — as a suspect or as a victim — it is the source of the core protections: custody limits, the right to counsel, and a free interpreter.
What It Governs
Law No. 5271, the Criminal Procedure Code (Ceza Muhakemesi Kanunu), governs how criminal investigations and trials are conducted — police custody and arrest, the rights of suspects and defendants, the rights of victims, and the use of interpreters.
Key Provisions for Foreign Nationals
Police custody and its review are governed by Article 91, which sets the permitted custody periods and the detained person's right to have the custody decision reviewed by a judge.
Pre-trial arrest (tutuklama) is the exception, not the rule: Articles 100 and 101 require strong suspicion and specific statutory grounds, and Article 109 provides judicial control (adli kontrol) as the less restrictive alternative that should be considered first.
When a statement is taken, Article 147 guarantees the rights to remain silent and to be assisted by counsel; Article 150 makes the appointment of defence counsel mandatory in serious cases and where the suspect cannot appoint one.
A criminal investigation is set in motion by a complaint or report under Article 158. Suspects, defendants and victims who do not speak Turkish are entitled to a free interpreter under Article 202. For eligible offences, reconciliation (uzlaştırma) under Article 253 can resolve the matter without a trial.
Official source: the official text of Law No. 5271 on mevzuat.gov.tr.
This is a concise summary for general information only and is not an official translation. For the binding legal text, consult the official source above. This page is not legal advice.