Understanding Turkish criminal case documents

Investigation terms

Soruşturma means investigation. Şüpheli describes a suspect at that stage. Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı identifies the chief public prosecutor’s office. İfade tutanağı is a statement record. Kovuşturmaya yer olmadığına dair karar, often abbreviated KYOK, is a decision not to pursue public prosecution. Its full reasoning and notification are needed to assess a possible challenge.

Court terms

İddianame is the indictment. Sanık describes the defendant in the court proceedings until the judgment becomes final. Tensip zaptı records preparatory court directions, while duruşma tutanağı is a hearing record. Gerekçeli karar is the reasoned decision. These documents have different purposes; the title alone does not identify every obligation or available remedy.

Detention and enforcement terms

Gözaltı refers to police custody; tutuklama concerns judicial remand. Adli kontrol describes judicial control measures. Kesinleşme concerns a decision becoming final. İnfaz concerns enforcement of the sentence, while müddetname is an enforcement calculation document. A document may require careful review of dates and underlying decisions before its practical effect can be explained.

How to organise the papers

Keep the original file name, issuing authority, date and service information. Group documents by case number where there is more than one file. A short index stating the document title and date helps the initial review. This glossary is explanatory: a legal translation and interpretation of the actual text may still be required for a specific application.

What to have ready

Full case number and the authority handling the matter
Your procedural role and current country of residence
Original decisions and notification or service records
A dated timeline and the evidence already available
Known hearing dates, travel plans and your questions

Common questions

Does every karar mean a conviction?

No. Karar means decision and can refer to many different procedural rulings.

Is an e Government screenshot the full case file?

No. It may show useful information but does not necessarily include every decision, evidence item or service record.

Legal sources and further reading

Further information in Turkish →

These guides address Turkish law. The relevant law, procedural deadlines and possible remedies must be assessed against the individual documents. A website description cannot establish the outcome of a case.