The United Nations human rights chief on Thursday condemned legal amendments passed by Turkey’s parliament that increase prison terms for children and require them to begin their sentences in closed juvenile facilities.
The amendments to the Child Protection Law replace the practice of placing children directly in education-based rehabilitation institutions. Transfers from closed facilities will instead depend on an assessment, according to the UN Human Rights Office.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said he was “alarmed” by the changes.
I am concerned by recent changes to legislation in Türkiye, which could see children sentenced to life imprisonment.
It is essential that the provisions are amended so that they fully align with Türkiye’s obligations under international human rights law.https://t.co/yB19ME53HS
— Volker Türk (@volker_turk) August 13, 2026
“While some of the proposals may be positive, such as those that aim to ensure better coordination between child protection and education services and to prevent children from accessing firearms, others raise serious human rights concerns,” Türk said.
“It is essential that the law is amended to ensure that all of its provisions are fully aligned with Turkey’s international human rights law obligations, including on children’s rights.”
The amendments increase prison terms for children ages 12 to 18. Children ages 15 to 18 convicted of crimes carrying aggravated life sentences, including intentional homicide, could receive prison terms ranging from 19 to 27 years.
Those convicted of crimes punishable by life imprisonment could receive sentences of between 15 and 18 years.
The UN Human Rights Office urged Turkey to maintain a juvenile justice system that combines accountability with rehabilitation and reintegration.
International human rights law permits the imprisonment of children only as a last resort and for the shortest appropriate period, the office said.
Life sentences and lengthy periods of detention for children run counter to protections under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, it added.
© Agence France-Presse
