A new judicial reform package drafted by Turkey’s Justice Ministry could lead to the release of up to 55,000 inmates, as the country’s prison population exceeds capacity by more than 100,000 amid ongoing political crackdowns and mass arrests, according to a report posted on X by journalist Alican Uludağ.
The draft legislation, known as the 10th Judicial Package, includes provisions for reduced sentences and expanded eligibility for supervised release. Inmates convicted of offenses committed before July 31, 2023 and those currently serving time in prison, may qualify for release up to three years early under the proposal.
CEZAEVLERİNE KISMİ AF GELİYOR: 55 bin hükümlüye tahliye yolu #ÖZELHABER
Adalet Bakanlığı, ceza yargı paketi/infaz indirim paketine ilişkin çalışmasını tamamladı.
Hazırlanan taslakta, 55 bin hükümlünün tahliye edilmesinin yolu açıldı.
31 Temmuz 2023 tarihinden önce suç…
— Alican Uludağ (@alicanuludag) April 15, 2025
The reform also paves the way for the release of repeat offenders who have served a certain amount of their sentence.
The ministry is expected to submit the package to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday and, if approved, bring it to parliament for a vote before the summer recess.
The draft also includes measures concerning sick inmates, though individuals convicted of terrorism offenses would not be eligible, according to Uludağ.
A delegation from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) involved in peace talks to resolve the country’s terrorism problem that will meet Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç on Friday is expected to discuss the exclusion of chronically ill inmates convicted under counterterrorism laws with the minister.
According to Uludağ, the government may consider resolving the issue of critically ill inmates through the Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK), which has been criticized for a lack of independence in politically sensitive cases.
Human rights advocates have long criticized Turkey for its treatment of ailing detainees, many of whom are behind bars on terrorism charges linked to political dissent or affiliation with banned groups.
According to March data from the Ministry of Justice, Turkey’s 395 prisons are housing 398,694 inmates, surpassing their official combined capacity of 299,940 by 98,754 people, representing a 133.9 percent occupancy rate.
The prison population increased by 14,478 between January and March 2025, despite the closure of 10 small facilities during the same period.
The current total reflects ongoing arrests over protests against the jailing of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, President Erdoğan’s main political rival, as well as an ongoing crackdown on the faith-based Gülen movement, inspired by the late Turkish-Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, and people associated with the Kurdish political struggle for recognition.
The overcrowding crisis is putting pressure on Turkish authorities to take action before parliament breaks for summer recess.