Turkey's Parliament Passes 12th Judicial Reform Package

The Turkish Grand National Assembly approved the legislation commonly referred to as the "12th Judicial Package". The law amends multiple statutes to accelerate and streamline court proceedings, introduces a reduced‑penalty regime for individuals who facilitate fraud using bank account (IBAN) information, and revises inheritance‑property auction procedures so the first bid is limited to heirs. It also reforms the Notary Law to allow electronic transmission of documents, updates the calculation of statutory interest to reference the central bank’s re‑discount rate, and modifies the "Hag‑B" (delayed announcement of verdict) rules. Additional changes cover the organization of appeal courts, the handling of indeterminate claims, and limits on the duration between hearings. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek highlighted the package’s aim to strengthen the justice system, while opposition MPs criticized it as creating a dual legal system.