Turkish Constitutional Court abolishes indefinite alimony provision

The Turkish Constitutional Court (AYM) voted to annul the clause in the Turkish Civil Code that allowed poverty alimony to be paid “indefinitely”. The decision follows a request from the Antalya 12th Family Court and will come into force nine months after publication of the reasoning.

The ruling does not eliminate alimony altogether but removes the provision that made it unlimited. Existing alimony orders remain enforceable, and the court warned that failure to pay could lead to enforcement actions such as imprisonment.

Women’s organisations and rights advocates protested, arguing the change jeopardises economic security for women who rely on the benefit after divorce, especially those who have spent years performing unpaid domestic work.

Lawmakers are now expected to draft new legislation within the transition period, with proposals for time‑limited alimony linked to marriage length, age, health and children’s needs.