This page provides information on the national frameworks to address hate crime in Türkiye. The information provided here should be viewed alongside data presented on Türkiye's hate crime report page.

Hate crime recording and data collection

When a crime is reported, a criminal record is opened. Crimes that contain a bias element are recorded in the same way as other crimes, and there is no specific procedure for recording or investigating hate crimes. 

Offences are recorded electronically within the UYAP system (National Judicial Network System). As part of the Official Statistics Programme, data from the UYAP system are compiled annually and include information on the accused and the offence, as provided for in the Criminal Code and special laws. The Directorate General for Criminal Records and Statistics of the Ministry of Justice (Directorate) stores hate crime statistics in keeping with the relevant articles of the Criminal Code. 

A working group within the Directorate is tasked with collecting statistics in an accurate and appropriate manner, and with making changes to the hate crime data collection process as needed.  

Hate crime victim support

Türkiye provides support to hate crime victims as part of its general victim support system. Under Turkish Law, there is no independent definition of a victim of a hate crime. However, the Regulation on Judicial Support and Victim Services provides for differentiated support services for "victims with special needs" in view of the nature of the impact of the offence on victims and the vulnerability of those victims. In this regard, victims of hate crimes may be considered to belong to a vulnerable group and may benefit from special protection measures. Victims of hate crimes who, as a result of an individual assessment are considered to belong to a vulnerable group (defined as victims with special needs), may benefit from the following services free of charge: accommodation, emergency medical aid, psychosocial counselling, legal counselling and representation, interpretation and translation.

Presidential Decree No. 63 – Supporting Victims of Crime and the Regulation on Judicial Support and Victim Services – regulates the judicial support process and determines the types of services to be provided to victims, the referral system, and its functioning.

The Department of Judicial Support and Victim Service under the Ministry of Justice contributes to an accessible support system for victims – in particular vulnerable groups – by conducting studies related to victims' rights. The Department of Judicial Support and Victim Service remains in contact with the bar association, which can in certain cases appoint a victim's lawyer, as well as with civil society organizations (CSOs). In addition, Directorates of Judicial Support and Victim Services are present in courthouses and serve to inform victims of their rights. CSO representatives may be invited to the meetings of the Directorates' Advisory Board and Co-ordination Board in order to make recommendations regarding the provision of victim support services. In 2025, the number of judicial interview rooms in 174 courthouses in 81 provinces was increased to 176.

The Directorates of Judicial Support and Victim Services also include a Vulnerable Group Support Agency, which provides individual needs assessment, judicial support plans, and a case management and monitoring programme. Judicial support plans are prepared based on individual needs assessments, and include measures to ensure that judicial support personnel can actively plan, implement, monitor and co-ordinate the provision of services to vulnerable victims. There are also protection boards responsible for helping crime victims solve their social and financial problems. Support services may also be provided by CSOs, the Ministry of Family and Social Policies, and municipal authorities. 

Some CSOs in Türkiye provide support to victims of hate crimes by collaborating with the government or receiving donations on a periodic basis through EU funds or United Nations projects. They maintain protocols and co-operation mechanisms with institutions such as the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry of Family and Social Services. However, there is no systematic co-ordination mechanism specifically dedicated to victims of hate crimes.

The quality of services provided by the directorates are evaluated and regularly reported by the Department of Judicial Support and Victim Services. Staff assigned to the directorates receive regular in-service training. This training covers topics such as the legal basis for the vulnerable groups support office, the conceptual definition and identification of vulnerability, approaches to vulnerable individuals, the office’s workflow, conducting individual assessments, the legal support plan, services provided to vulnerable groups, and case management. 

In Türkiye, the process of assessing the individual needs of victims of hate crimes and providing appropriate support to them is carried out within the framework of the Regulation on Judicial Support and Victim Services. According to the Regulation, an individual needs assessment must be carried for all victims who require protection and are at risk of secondary victimization in the judicial process, including hate crime victims. The assessment takes into account the physical and psychological condition of the victim, the impact of the offence on them, the risk of repetition, as well as the social environment and personal characteristics of the victim.

An individual needs assessment is initiated when the victim directly applies to the Directorate of Judicial Support and Victim Services or is referred by another institution or authority. During the process, the judicial support officer conducts a face-to-face interview with the victim and determines the needs of the victim while observing the principles of confidentiality, voluntariness, and respect for personal integrity. If, as a result of the assessment, it is established that the victim belongs to a vulnerable group, a judicial support plan is prepared, and process-specific support mechanisms are put into effect. Since the needs of the victim may change as the judicial process progresses, the individual needs assessment and forensic support plan is dynamic and can be updated as needed following a reassessment conducted at any stage of the criminal proceedings.

The process of preparing and implementing individual assessments and judicial support plans is carried out by judicial support officers within the Directorate of Judicial Support and Victim Services. These staff members receive training as part of programmes developed by the Presidency. Additionally, the "Guide on Approach to Victims" provides staff with practical guidance on how to approach all vulnerable groups, including victims of hate crimes. A centralized structure has been established to ensure that the individual assessment process is conducted consistently throughout the criminal procedure system. The assessment process and support plans are carried out using standard forms and criteria established by the Presidency, thereby ensuring uniformity of application nationwide. When necessary, a case management system is utilized, and a holistic support model is implemented in which all the needs of the victim are monitored by a single judicial support staff member.

Police inform victims of their rights and available support services upon their request. The principles of sensitive and respectful treatment are described in a dedicated Guide on Approach to Victims. The Guide specifically addresses the needs of victims of hate crimes and discrimination. Victims may be supported either by the staff of Directorates or be referred to victim support providers. Special interviewing premises are provided to particularly vulnerable victims, including victims of hate crime. Interviews on these premises can be held with the assistance of psychological support specialists. 

Victims are entitled to participate in the criminal proceedings held before a court of first instance. Victims can seek compensation. The judge may award compensation upon request, or designate an alternative form of redress. Hate crime victims can also lodge petitions to the National Ombudsman and the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye.

The Ministry of Justice has published a dedicated victim Information website. The website informs crime victims of their rights, the services they can access, and information about service providers and relevant procedures.

Mediation is not possible in cases of hate crime and discrimination offences, as defined in Article 122 of the Turkish Criminal Code.

Hate crime capacity building

Türkiye implemented ODIHR's Training against Hate Crime for Law Enforcement (TAHCLE) programme following a memorandum of understanding signed in 2016 between the Presidency of the Police Academy and ODIHR. Following a training-of-trainers held in April 2016, a cascading plan for 2018-2023 was adopted with the aim of reaching all police officers working at the central and provincial levels. Elements of the TAHCLE curriculum were also introduced to the pre-service police training course curriculum, as well as to the "Police-Chief Practices" course for students receiving the First-Level Police Chief Training at the Directorate of Police Chiefs Training Centre. 

The Institute of Security Sciences provides a training programme on human rights, which includes a two-hour session on the topic of hate crime. In the Police Chiefs Training Center, a two-hour session on the topic of hate crime is included in the "Leadership Training for Police" course. The "Applied Policing" programme offered by the Police Vocational Training Centers includes a three-hour session on the topic of hate crimes. The Police Vocational Schools of Higher Education cover the topic during a two-hour session included in the "Professional Practices-2" course.

The Justice Academy conducts both in-service and pre-service training for judges and prosecutors. Several in-service (both face-to-face and distance learning) and pre-service training activities related to hate crimes are provided.

A "Guide on Approach to Victims" developed by the Presidency has been used in training programmes on handling hate crime victims, which are organized for staff members of the Directorates of Judicial Support and Victim Services.