Turkey's top court ends indefinite alimony provision

Turkey's Constitutional Court has reversed its stance on indefinite alimony, abolishing the provision that allowed for lifelong spousal support payments. This landmark decision overturns a previous rejection of a similar challenge made in 2012.

The case centered on Article 175 of the Turkish Civil Code, which governs poverty alimony. In 2012, the Constitutional Court had upheld the provision, emphasizing the state's role as a social welfare provider and the need to ensure a minimum standard of living for citizens. The court at that time reasoned that "indefinite" alimony did not necessarily mean payments for life, but rather economic support as long as the conditions for poverty persisted.

However, the court's composition and perspective have evidently shifted. The recent decision to abolish the indefinite nature of alimony was made by a majority of 12 out of 17 judges. While the specific reasoning for this change was not detailed in the provided text, the shift suggests a re-evaluation of the social and economic implications of perpetual alimony obligations.

The ruling implies that alimony payments will now likely be subject to defined terms or specific conditions for termination, moving away from the previous open-ended framework. This change could significantly impact divorce settlements and the financial arrangements for divorced individuals in Turkey.

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İtiraz konusu 'süresiz olarak' ibaresi, nafaka alacaklısının her zaman ölünceye kadar yoksulluk nafakası alacağı anlamına gelmemektedir. Kanun koyucunun 4721 sayılı Türk Medenî Kanunu'nun 175. maddesinde 'süresiz olarak' ibaresine yer vermesinin amacı, boşanmadan dolayı yoksulluğa düşecek olan eşin diğer eş tarafından, şartları bulunduğu sürece ekonomik yönden desteklenmesi ve asgari yaşam gereksinimlerinin karşılanmasıdır