Justice minister: Divorce and alimony reforms to take effect in October

Turkey plans to introduce long-awaited legal changes on indefinite alimony as part of a legislative package scheduled for October, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said.

Gürlek made the statement while speaking at the opening ceremony for the judicial year organized by Ankara Bar Association No. 2. He said the proposed changes would address the legal arrangements needed on indefinite alimony, without providing further details in the remarks reported.

The minister also framed the judiciary within Turkey’s broader political and security experience. “We are escaping the scourge of terrorism. We will achieve the goal of a Terror-Free Turkey as a state project,” he said. He praised lawyers for contributing to the uninterrupted delivery of justice and said he wanted to speak not only as a minister, but as a legal professional among colleagues.

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We are escaping the scourge of terrorism. We will achieve the goal of a Terror-Free Turkey as a state project.

Gürlek said Turkey had endured difficult periods in which the law and judiciary were used against the public during junta and coup eras. He also accused structures such as the Gülen movement and international power centers of targeting national security and trying to turn legal institutions into instruments for restricting rights and freedoms.

He said the government had rebuilt a judicial system that suffered what he called an earthquake through the Gülen movement, describing the new structure as independent and focused on serving citizens. Gürlek added that the ministry was open to constructive, practical and solution-oriented proposals centered on the law.

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We plan to implement the legal regulations needed on indefinite alimony as part of the package in October.