Overview
- The leaked 11th Judicial Package would amend Penal Code Article 225 to punish conduct deemed “contrary to biological sex and general morality” and its “promotion” with prison terms of up to three years.
- The draft would make holding or participating in a same-sex engagement or wedding ceremony a criminal offense punishable by up to four years in prison.
- Changes to Civil Code Article 40 would raise the minimum age for gender-affirming care from 18 to 25, reintroduce a sterilization requirement, and require multiple evaluations at government-approved hospitals.
- Providing or receiving gender-affirming treatment without court authorization could draw prison sentences, with penalties reported at up to seven years for medical professionals and up to three years for patients.
- Human Rights Watch, 15 LGBT groups in Türkiye, and the Turkish Medical Association condemned the draft and cited European court precedent, as local media report the justice minister says the package has been sent to lawmakers for the parliamentary agenda.