A new draft bill proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) calls for life imprisonment for grave offenses committed by suspects between the ages of 15 and 18, in a major shift from the policy of more relaxed sentences for “children driven to crime.”
Leyla Şahin Usta, the party’s deputy parliamentary group chair, elaborated on the bill as she formally delivered it to the presidency of the Turkish Parliament for discussion and voting at the General Assembly.
Speaking at a news conference in Ankara on Tuesday, Usta said the judges would have the authority to hand down life imprisonment for suspects between the ages of 15 and 18 if they are convicted of crimes, such as murder, similar to the sentencing of adults. She underlined that it would be strictly the decision of the judges to hand down such sentences.
Murders committed by minors and gangs’ increasing use of children to carry out shootings have been under the spotlight in the country in recent years.
A series of fatal stabbing incidents involving teenagers has intensified public debate in Türkiye over youth violence and the factors driving minors toward crime. One of the most widely reported cases occurred on Jan. 24, 2025, when 14-year-old Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi was stabbed by a 15-year-old attacker at a street market in Istanbul. Minguzzi died on Feb. 9 after spending 16 days in intensive care.
