Key Amendments Introduced by Law No. 7589 in Enforcement Law, Civil Procedure, Administrative Procedure, Criminal Law, and the Law of Obligations

Law No. 7589, published in the Official Gazette on 31 July 2026, introduced significant amendments across various branches of the Turkish legal system. The new legislation includes substantial changes affecting the practice of enforcement and bankruptcy law, civil procedure, administrative judicial procedure, criminal procedure, the law of obligations, and notarial procedures, among other areas.

Below is a summary of the amendments that are expected to have the greatest practical significance.

 

1.)  The Legal Framework Governing Unquantified Receivable Actions Has Been Repealed

 

Article 107 of the Turkish Code of Civil Procedure (Law No. 6100), which regulated actions for unquantified receivables, has been repealed.

 

Under the new framework, in cases filed as partial claims, the claimant may increase the amount of the claim once, at any time until the conclusion of the evidentiary stage of the proceedings. Furthermore, the statute of limitations with respect to the increased portion of the claim will be deemed to have been interrupted as of the date on which the original lawsuit was filed.

 

2.) A Time Limit Has Been Introduced Between Hearings

 

A new paragraph has been added to Article 147 of the Turkish Code of Civil Procedure, providing that, as a general rule, the period between two hearings may not exceed three months.

 

However, where an expert examination, judicial assistance (letters rogatory), or other compelling procedural reasons make it necessary, the court may schedule a longer interval, provided that the reasons are expressly stated in its decision.

 

This amendment is intended to expedite judicial proceedings and improve procedural efficiency.

 

3.) Signature Requirement Removed for Parties Participating in Hearings via Audio and Video Transmission (SEGBİS)

 

A new paragraph has been added to Article 149 of the Turkish Code of Civil Procedure regarding parties who participate in court hearings remotely through the Audio and Video Information System (SEGBİS).

 

Accordingly, individuals authorized by the court to attend hearings remotely will no longer be subject to the handwritten signature requirement, except in relation to procedural acts listed under Article 154(3)(ç) of the Code, namely:

 

acknowledgment of facts (judicial admission), taking an oath, consent to the withdrawal of the action, waiver of the claim, acceptance of the claim, and settlement of the dispute.

 

The amendment aims to facilitate remote participation in judicial proceedings while preserving additional safeguards for procedural acts that have significant legal consequences.

 

4.) Amendment to Article 158 of the Turkish Criminal Code Concerning Aggravated Fraud

 

Law No. 7589 introduces a new paragraph to Article 158 of the Turkish Criminal Code concerning the offence of aggravated fraud.

 

Under the new provision, a reduced sentence will apply where a person's participation in the offences defined under Articles 157 or 158 is limited solely to providing another person with payment instruments or account access information, such as:

 

bank or credit cards, credentials or authentication tools enabling access to bank accounts, accounts held with intermediary institutions, payment service providers, or crypto-asset service providers, provided that such conduct is carried out for the purpose of obtaining an unlawful benefit for themselves or another person. In these circumstances, the sentence imposed shall be reduced by one-half.

 

5.) The Deferred Pronouncement of the Judgment (HAGB) Has Been Revised

 

Article 231 of the Turkish Criminal Procedure Code has been amended.

 

Under the new legislation, paragraph 14 has been revised to provide that the deferred pronouncement of the judgment (Hükmün Açıklanmasının Geri Bırakılması – HAGB) may no longer be applied to certain offences involving torture or ill-treatment committed by public officials.

 

This amendment further restricts the scope of HAGB in cases involving serious violations of fundamental rights by public officials.

 

6.)  New Rules Introduced Regarding the Commencement of Interest on Compensation for Loss of Support and Loss of Earning Capacity

 

New provisions have been added to Article 55 of the Turkish Code of Obligations regulating the commencement date for statutory interest on compensation claims for loss of support and loss of earning capacity.

 

Under the new rules:

 

where the claimant's income can be determined, statutory interest will accrue from the date of the incident; and

where the claimant's income cannot be determined, statutory interest will accrue from the date of the court's judgment.

 

These amendments are particularly significant for compensation claims arising from traffic accidents and occupational accidents.

 

7.) Electronic Sale of Property Belonging to Persons Under Guardianship

 

Pursuant to the amendments introduced to Articles 440 and 444 of the Turkish Civil Code, the sale of movable and immovable property belonging to persons under guardianship will henceforth be conducted through the Electronic Sales Portal integrated with the National Judiciary Informatics System (UYAP).

 

The new system is intended to enhance transparency, efficiency, and accessibility in judicial sales conducted on behalf of persons under guardianship.

 

8.) The Statutory Interest Regime Under Law No. 3095 Has Been Amended

 

Law No. 3095 on Statutory Interest has been substantially revised.

 

Under the new framework, statutory interest will no longer be determined at a fixed rate. Instead, it will be calculated by reference to the rediscount rate announced by the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT).

 

Where interest is payable under the Turkish Commercial Code and the applicable rate has not been agreed upon by the parties, the statutory interest rate will be calculated as 80% of the CBRT's short-term rediscount rate in effect on 31 December of the preceding year.

 

Furthermore, if the difference between the rediscount rate determined on 30 June and the rate applicable on 31 December is five percentage points or more, the statutory interest rate applicable during the second half of the year will be 80% of the rediscount rate announced on 30 June.

 

This amendment replaces the previous fixed-rate system with a market-based mechanism linked to the Central Bank's monetary policy indicators.

 

 9.) The Appeal System in Administrative Proceedings Has Been Reorganized

 

Significant amendments have been introduced to the Administrative Procedure Law concerning appellate review.

 

Articles 45(2) and 45(3) have been revised to clearly and comprehensively specify the circumstances in which the Regional Administrative Court may remit a case to the court of first instance.

 

In addition, pursuant to the amendment to Article 46, decisions rendered by the Regional Administrative Court following the annulment of a first-instance judgment are now subject to appeal before the Council of State (Danıştay).

 

These amendments are intended to provide greater procedural clarity and ensure more effective judicial review within the administrative court system.

 

10.)  Increased Monetary Threshold for Cases Heard by a Single Judge in Administrative Courts

 

The amendments to Law No. 2576 have significantly increased the monetary threshold for cases to be adjudicated by a single judge in administrative courts.

 

As a result, both the scope of cases that may be heard by a single judge and the applicable monetary limits have been expanded, with the aim of improving judicial efficiency and reducing the workload of multi-member judicial panels.

 

11.) Major Amendments to Enforcement Sales and Partition-by-Sale Proceedings

 

Significant amendments have been introduced to Article 114 of the Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law, particularly with respect to partition-by-sale proceedings involving jointly owned real property.

 

Under the new provisions, where: all co-owners of the real property are heirs; and

no third party holds an ownership interest, the first auction for the sale of the property must be conducted exclusively among the heirs.

 

The legislation also introduces several important changes to judicial enforcement sales. Among the most notable amendments are the following:

 

bids submitted through the electronic auction portal must equal at least 50% of the appraised value of the seized property;

in partition-by-sale proceedings where the first auction is limited exclusively to the heir-owners, the highest bid must equal 100% of the appraised value of the property.

 

The new law also imposes stricter sanctions on successful bidders who fail to pay the purchase price within the prescribed period.

 

Where the highest bidder does not pay the purchase price on time:

 

the security deposit will not be refunded and will first be applied toward the costs of the sale; and

an administrative fine equal to 5% of the bid amount will be imposed on the defaulting bidder.

 

These amendments are intended to discourage speculative bidding and enhance the efficiency and reliability of judicial sales.

 

12.) New Amendments to the Notary Law

 

The amendments to the Notary Law enable notarial documents requested by courts and Chief Public Prosecutors' Offices to be transmitted electronically using a secure electronic signature.

 

The new system simplifies and accelerates the transmission of notarial documents to courts, public prosecutors' offices, and criminal peace judgeships, thereby improving the efficiency of judicial procedures.

 

Conclusion

 

Although the majority of the amendments introduced by the 12th Judicial Reform Package entered into force upon their publication, certain provisions will become effective three months after publication. These include:

 

the electronic sale of movable property belonging to persons under guardianship (Article 440 of the Turkish Civil Code);

the electronic sale of immovable property belonging to persons under guardianship (Article 444 of the Turkish Civil Code); and

the amendment to Article 149 of the Turkish Code of Civil Procedure concerning the signature requirement for parties participating in hearings via the Audio and Video Information System (SEGBİS).

 

Law No. 7589 introduces substantial reforms not only in procedural law but also in enforcement and bankruptcy law, administrative judicial procedure, criminal procedure, the law of obligations, and notarial practice. In particular, the introduction of the electronic sale system, the repeal of the legal framework governing unquantified receivable actions, the new statutory interest regime, the revision of the deferred pronouncement of judgment (HAGB), and the limitation on the interval between court hearings are expected to have a significant impact on legal practice.

 

To avoid potential loss of rights, individuals and businesses are strongly advised to assess how the newly enacted provisions apply to their specific circumstances before initiating legal proceedings or undertaking any legal transaction.