Parliament debates omnibus bill with over 60 amendments

ANKARA

Turkish lawmakers are currently deliberating a new omnibus bill encompassing more than 60 amendments, including the reinstatement of a regulation regarding crimes committed on behalf of an organization without membership, which was previously annulled by the Constitutional Court.

Presented to the parliamentary presidency by ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies last week, discussions on the bill commenced in the parliament's justice commission on Feb. 20.

Dubbed the "judicial package" by the public, the bill aims to "enhance the efficiency of judicial services" through amendments to existing laws.

One of the most notable amendments proposed relates to Article 220/6 of the Turkish penal code, which addresses the crime of "committing crimes on behalf of an organization without being a member of the organization."

The bill seeks to reintroduce penalties for individuals engaging in acts on behalf of organizations involved in "terror crimes," treating them as if they were members of the organization.

The annulled paragraph previously stated that individuals committing crimes on behalf of an organization would also be penalized for membership in that organization, with the punishment potentially reduced by half. This provision was limited to armed organizations.

Another significant amendment addresses a ruling by the Constitutional Court regarding Article 187 of the Turkish civil code. The top court had invalidated the provision prohibiting married women from using only their maiden surname.

In response, the omnibus bill includes provisions allowing married women to retain their maiden surname for sole use, grants mothers the right to initiate paternity denial lawsuits and permits adoptive parents to have both their names listed on the adopted child's identity card.

Moreover, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç previously highlighted the "widespread perception of impunity in society" and emphasized that the proposed judicial reforms aim to address this concern.

Accordingly, the bill proposes changes such as ensuring convicts spend one-fifth of their conditional release period on probation and limiting the probation period to three years.

Other notable provisions include the right to appeal decisions deferring the announcement of verdicts to the appeals courts and an increase in the prepayment amount for crimes requiring imprisonment from 30 Turkish Liras to 100 liras per day.