Turkey's HSK mandates judicial duties for chief prosecutors

The Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) has issued new regulations in the Official Gazette mandating that deputy chief prosecutors and chief prosecutors serving at criminal courts of first instance participate directly in judicial work. Previously focused on administrative and coordination roles, these officials will now be required to handle investigation files and other judicial tasks.

Under the new rules, the workload for deputy chief prosecutors will be determined by the number of prosecutors in their jurisdiction. In locations with up to 20 prosecutors, they will handle 25% of the average workload; for 21–50 prosecutors, the rate is 20%; and for more than 50 prosecutors, it is 15%. These rates may fluctuate by 5 points based on workload but cannot fall below 15%.

Chief prosecutors at criminal courts of first instance will be assigned between 30% and 40% of the average workload, depending on the number of active prosecutors. Justice Minister and HSK President Akın Gürlek stated that the goal is to utilize the professional experience of senior prosecutors to balance workloads and ensure investigations are completed within a reasonable timeframe.