A new bill proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which calls for life imprisonment for perpetrators of serious offenses committed between the ages of 15 and 18, was approved by Parliament's Justice Committee early Wednesday.
The bill is one of the most comprehensive legislative packages addressing children involved in crime. Its most notable provision is the introduction of life sentences for offenders as young as 15, although such sentences would remain at the court's discretion.
Murders committed by minors and the increasing use of children by criminal gangs to carry out shootings have come under the spotlight in Türkiye in recent years.
A series of fatal stabbing incidents involving teenagers has intensified public debate 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.
Just two months later, another fatal stabbing shocked the public in the northern province of Tokat, where 17-year-old national athlete Berkay Melikoğlu was killed.
