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Protection Orders in Turkey: How Foreign Women Can Get Help Against Domestic Violence

By Av. Talha Yayla · October 14, 2026 · 13 min read

Anyone in Turkey (Türkiye) who has suffered violence or is at risk of it — whatever their nationality or immigration status — can obtain a protection order under Law No. 6284, free of charge and without having to prove the violence. An order can be requested from the police, the public prosecutor, the family court or the governor's office, whichever is quickest to reach. It can remove the violent person from the home, forbid any approach or contact, and provide shelter and financial support. It is granted for up to six months at a time and can be extended, and breaching it is punished by compulsory imprisonment.

Foreign women often stay in dangerous situations because they believe that reporting will cost them their residence permit, or that the law protects only citizens. Neither is true. This guide explains what the law offers, how to apply, and how protection interacts with residence status.

Who is protected: women, children, family members and victims of stalking who have suffered violence or are at risk (Law No. 6284, Art. 1).
Violence includes physical, sexual, psychological, verbal and economic acts, threats and arbitrary restriction of freedom (Art. 2).
Where to apply: the judge, the governor or district governor, or the police — whichever is fastest and easiest to reach (Art. 8(1)).
No evidence required for a protective order (Art. 8(3)).
Duration: up to six months at first; can be extended or changed (Art. 8(2)).
No cost: no fees, postage or expenses of any kind (Art. 20).
Breach: 3 to 10 days' compulsory imprisonment; 15 to 30 days for each repetition; six months in total at most (Art. 13).
Emergency numbers: 112 (emergency), 183 (social support line).

If you are in immediate danger, call 112. You can also go to the nearest police or gendarmerie station, or to a hospital. You do not need a lawyer, an interpreter or any document to ask for protection; the authorities must act on your request.

Who the law protects

The purpose of Law No. 6284 is to protect women, children, family members and victims of unilateral persistent stalking who have been subjected to violence or are at risk of it, and to prevent violence against them (Art. 1(1)). The law contains no condition of nationality, residence permit, marriage or cohabitation:

it applies whether or not the victim and the perpetrator are married, and whether or not they live in the same household — domestic violence is defined to include violence between people regarded as family members even if they do not share a home (Art. 2(1)(b));
it covers former spouses, partners, fiancés, relatives and stalkers;
a "victim" includes a person directly or indirectly exposed to violence or at risk of it, and those affected by it — for example children who witness it (Art. 2(1)(e)).

A foreign woman with an expired visa, a pending asylum application or no documents at all is therefore within the law's protection.

What counts as violence

The definition is broad. Violence means acts that result, or are likely to result, in physical, sexual, psychological or economic harm or suffering, including threats, pressure and arbitrary deprivation of liberty, and every kind of physical, sexual, psychological, verbal or economic behaviour occurring in social, public or private life (Art. 2(1)(d)).

Type	Examples
Physical	Hitting, pushing, choking, confinement, depriving of food or medical care
Sexual	Forced sexual acts, including within marriage; forced pregnancy or abortion
Psychological and verbal	Threats, insults, humiliation, isolation from family and friends, threats to take the children or to report you to the immigration authorities
Economic	Taking your earnings, forbidding you to work, withholding money for basic needs, confiscating your passport or residence card
Stalking	Persistent following, messages, calls or monitoring against your will

Threatening a foreign spouse with deportation, or keeping her passport, is a recognised form of control. It is also relevant evidence.

Measures that protect you

By the governor or district governor (Art. 3) — and, in urgent cases, by the police for the first and fourth items:

suitable shelter for you and, if necessary, your children, where you are or elsewhere;
temporary financial assistance;
psychological, vocational, legal and social guidance and counselling;
temporary protection — police protection — where there is danger to life, on request or of the authority's own motion;
day-care for your children for a limited period, to support your participation in working life.

By the family court judge (Art. 4):

change of workplace;
if you are married, designation of a place of residence separate from the shared home;
annotation of the family home on the land register, where the Civil Code conditions are met, so that it cannot be sold without your consent;
where there is danger to life and other measures would be insufficient, change of identity and other records under the Witness Protection Law, with your informed consent.

Your identity details and address, and those of other family members, can be kept confidential in all official records, with a separate address designated for notifications (Art. 8(6)). On request, your personal belongings and documents are handed over to you with police assistance (Art. 8(7)) — which is how a withheld passport is recovered.

Measures against the violent person

The judge may order one or more of the following preventive measures (Art. 5(1)):

not to threaten, insult, humiliate or degrade the victim;
immediate removal from the shared home and allocation of the home to the protected person;
not to approach the protected persons or their home, school and workplace;
supervised, restricted or suspended contact with the children, where a contact order already exists;
not to approach the protected person's relatives, witnesses and children, where necessary;
not to damage the protected person's belongings and household goods;
not to disturb the protected person by communication devices or otherwise;
surrender of weapons, including a service weapon;
not to use alcohol or drugs where the protected persons are, or to approach them under the influence; treatment for addiction;
examination or treatment at a health institution.

In urgent cases the police themselves may order the first four of these — no threats, removal from the home, no approach to the victim, no approach to relatives and children — and submit the order to the judge by the next working day; it lapses if the judge does not approve it within 24 hours (Art. 5(2)). The judge may also decide on custody, appointment of a trustee, maintenance and contact under the Civil Code (Art. 5(3)), and may order interim maintenance without a request where the violent person is the family's provider (Art. 5(4)). Compliance can be monitored by electronic means under a judge's order (Art. 12).

Woman sitting on a bed making a phone call with a worried expression — A protection order can be requested from the police, the prosecutor, the family court or the governor's office, whichever is quickest to reach.

How to apply

A measure is ordered on the request of the person concerned, or on the application of the Ministry, law enforcement officers or the public prosecutor. It can be requested from the judge, the administrative authority or the law enforcement unit that is quickest and easiest to reach (Art. 8(1)). In addition, anyone may report violence or the risk of it to the authorities, and public officials who receive a report must act without delay (Art. 7).

Where	When to use it
Police or gendarmerie station; 112	Emergencies; at night and weekends. Officers take your statement, can impose urgent measures and take you to a shelter.
Public prosecutor's office at the courthouse	To file a criminal complaint and request measures at the same time.
Family court (aile mahkemesi)	Direct written request for removal from the home, non-approach and no-contact orders.
Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centre (ŞÖNİM)	Support, shelter placement and follow-up; these centres work 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Bar association	A free legal aid lawyer.

What makes the procedure effective:

No evidence or document is required for a protective order. A preventive order is made without delay, and the decision may not be postponed in a way that endangers the purpose of the law (Art. 8(3)). Your statement is enough.
No hearing of the other side is needed. The order is notified to him afterwards, with a warning that breach will lead to compulsory imprisonment (Art. 8(4)–(5)). Failure to notify him does not prevent the order from being enforced (Art. 10(5)).
It is free. No court fees, postage or expenses under any name are charged for applications and for enforcement (Art. 20).
Language. Say that you need an interpreter; if none is available immediately, give your statement in simple terms and ask that it be read back to you.

Duration, extension and objection

Six months at most on the first occasion. If it appears that the violence or the risk will continue, the measures can be extended, changed, lifted or maintained, of the authority's own motion or at the request of the protected person, the Ministry or law enforcement (Art. 8(2)). Apply for extension before the period ends.
Objection. Decisions under the law may be objected to before the family court within two weeks of pronouncement or notification; the reviewing court decides within one week and its decision is final (Art. 9). The same route is open to you if your request is refused; a refusal is notified only to you (Art. 8(4)).

If the order is breached

A person who acts contrary to an order is subject, by decision of the judge, to compulsory imprisonment of three to ten days, depending on the nature of the measure breached and the seriousness of the breach — even if the act also constitutes a crime. For each repetition the period is fifteen to thirty days, up to a total of six months (Art. 13).

Report every breach: call 112 or go to the police, keep screenshots of messages and call logs, and note dates, times and witnesses. Breaches are both the basis for imprisonment and the strongest ground for extending the order. If you have a smartphone, the official KADES application lets you alert the police with one touch.

The criminal complaint

A protection order is a preventive measure, separate from criminal proceedings. The same conduct is usually also a crime under the Turkish Penal Code — intentional injury, threat, insult, deprivation of liberty, sexual assault, persistent stalking, violation of the immunity of the home. Law No. 6284 expressly reserves the provisions on protective measures in investigations, on punishment and on probation (Art. 6).

A complaint can be made to the police or the prosecutor. Some offences are prosecuted only on complaint and within a time limit; injury to a spouse is among those prosecuted of the authorities' own motion.
Go to a hospital as soon as possible; ask for a forensic report documenting the injuries.
As a victim you are entitled to an interpreter if you do not speak sufficient Turkish, and in certain serious offences to a lawyer appointed through the bar.

Your residence status

The fear of losing the right to stay is the main reason foreign victims do not come forward. The law provides specific safeguards:

Divorce from a Turkish citizen. A foreign spouse normally needs three years on a family residence permit to obtain a short-term permit after divorce. That condition is not required where it is established by a relevant court decision that the foreign spouse was a victim of domestic violence (Law No. 6458, Art. 34(6)). A protection order and a divorce judgment finding violence are such decisions. See Residence Permit After Divorce in Turkey.
No deportation during treatment. Victims of psychological, physical or sexual violence may not be deported until their treatment is completed (Law No. 6458, Art. 55(1)(d)), and may be granted a humanitarian residence permit (Art. 46(1)(c)). See who cannot be deported from Turkey.
Refusal and cancellation decisions must take into account family ties, length of residence and the best interests of children (Art. 25(1)).
Trafficking. Where the violence is part of forced labour or sexual exploitation, the separate regime for victims of human trafficking applies, with its own residence permit (Art. 48–49).
Reporting is not a status check. The purpose of a protection application is your safety. If your status is irregular, take legal advice promptly so that it can be regularised on one of the bases above — but do not delay seeking protection because of it.

Children, maintenance and the home

Children are protected with you. Shelter covers accompanying children; the non-approach order can cover their school; existing contact arrangements can be supervised, limited or suspended (Art. 5(1)(ç)).
Custody and maintenance can be decided on an interim basis by the same judge (Art. 5(3)–(4)), ahead of any divorce case.
The home. Removal of the violent person and allocation of the home to you does not depend on who owns or rents it. The family-home annotation prevents a sale or mortgage without your consent, and the Civil Code forbids a spouse from terminating the lease of, transferring or encumbering the family home without the other's express consent (Civil Code, Art. 194).
Taking children abroad. Leaving Turkey with the children without the other parent's consent or a court order may be treated as wrongful removal under the Hague Child Abduction Convention. Obtain a custody order first.
Divorce. Violence is a ground for divorce — attempt on life, very bad treatment or seriously degrading conduct (Civil Code, Art. 162) — and supports claims for compensation and custody. See divorce in Turkey for foreigners.

Need help obtaining or extending a protection order, or worried about your residence status? Message Yayla Law on WhatsApp or use the contact form. Tell us only what is safe to write; we can call you at a time you choose. In an emergency call 112 first.

Practical steps and evidence

Safety first. Leave if you can; go to a police station, a hospital or a public place.
Medical report. Have injuries examined and documented the same day.
Keep evidence somewhere he cannot reach — a trusted friend, a cloud account: photographs of injuries and damage, messages, voice notes, emails, bank records showing financial control, earlier reports.
Documents. Keep copies of your passport, residence permit, marriage certificate and the children's birth certificates and passports. If they have been taken, say so in your application and ask for them to be handed over with police assistance.
Tell someone. A friend, neighbour or colleague who knows can call for help and later testify.
Legal aid. Ask the bar association's legal aid office for a lawyer; bring whatever identity document you have.
Money. Open an account in your own name if possible; temporary financial assistance can be requested under Article 3.
Follow up. Note the order's end date and apply for extension in time.

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreign woman get a protection order in Turkey?

Yes. Law No. 6284 protects women, children, family members and stalking victims who suffer or risk violence, with no condition of nationality, residence permit or marriage. A foreigner can apply in the same way as a Turkish citizen.

Do I need proof of the violence?

No. The law states that no evidence or document is required for a protective order, and a preventive order must be made without delay. Your statement is sufficient; evidence becomes important for extensions, criminal proceedings and divorce.

Where do I apply for a protection order?

To whichever is quickest to reach: the police or gendarmerie, the public prosecutor, the family court, or the governor's or district governor's office. In an emergency call 112.

How long does a protection order last?

Up to six months on the first occasion. It can be extended, changed or maintained if the violence or the risk continues, on your request or of the authority's own motion.

What happens if he breaks the order?

By decision of the judge he is placed in compulsory imprisonment for three to ten days, and for fifteen to thirty days for each repetition, up to six months in total — in addition to any criminal liability. Report every breach to the police.

Does it cost anything?

No. No fees, postage or expenses of any kind are charged for applications under the law or for the enforcement of decisions.

Will I lose my residence permit if I leave my husband?

Not necessarily. A foreign spouse of a Turkish citizen who is shown by a court decision to be a victim of domestic violence can obtain a short-term residence permit after divorce without the usual three-year requirement, and victims of violence cannot be deported until their treatment is completed.

Can he be removed from the home if the house is his?

Yes. The judge — and in urgent cases the police — can order his immediate removal from the shared home and allocate it to the protected person, regardless of who owns or rents it.

Can I take my children with me?

Shelter is provided for you and your children, and the judge can make interim decisions on custody, contact and maintenance. Do not take the children out of Turkey without the other parent's consent or a court order.

Legal basis and sources

Law No. 6284 on the Protection of the Family and the Prevention of Violence against Women, Articles 1–13 and 20 — official consolidated text at mevzuat.gov.tr.
Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, Articles 25, 34, 46, 48–49 and 55.
Turkish Civil Code No. 4721, Articles 162 and 194.
Ministry of Family and Social Services — aile.gov.tr.

This article provides general legal information on Turkish law as of October 2026. It is not legal advice. If you are in danger, contact the emergency services on 112.