Turkey's 12th Judicial Package Sparks Reform Talk and Protests

The Turkish Justice Ministry’s draft 12th Judicial Package aims to accelerate court proceedings, expand digital e‑court services, and strengthen safeguards against fraud, covering areas such as family law, inheritance, property registration and electronic notifications. Lawyer Mert Meriç Orçan, speaking from Kahramanmaraş, said the reforms are intended to make justice faster, more transparent and easier for citizens to access, highlighting planned e‑hearings, e‑notifications and stricter measures against IBAN‑linked fraud.

Women's and LGBT+ groups, represented by Miyase Karatay of the Gaziantep Democratic Women Platform, staged a press conference denouncing the package as a “gasp package” that would roll back rights. They warned that proposed changes to alimony, custody and divorce procedures could leave women economically vulnerable, and that identity‑verification rules for social media could increase censorship. Karatay quoted: “Haklarımız paketlere sığmaz. Yargı değil, gasp paketi olan 12. Yargı Paketi’ne hayır.” The protests underscore public concern that the reforms may undermine protections for women, LGBT+ individuals and children.