Feti Yıldız clarifies legal basis for political bans in Turkey

Feti Yıldız, Deputy Chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), has provided legal clarification regarding what is commonly referred to as the “political ban” in Turkey. Highlighting Article 53 of the Turkish Penal Code, Yıldız noted that the public is often misinformed about how certain rights are restricted following criminal convictions.

According to Yıldız, for intentional crimes, the deprivation of certain rights is a mandatory legal consequence of a prison sentence and is not subject to a judge's discretion. This automatic restriction includes the inability to hold public office, serve as a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, or hold positions in municipal or village administrations.

Furthermore, convicted individuals are barred from certain roles in foundations, associations, unions, companies, cooperatives, and political parties, as well as from exercising guardianship or custody rights. Yıldız clarified that these restrictions do not apply to crimes committed through negligence or conscious negligence, as those do not carry similar mandatory security measures.