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Sexual Assault and Harassment in Turkey: Rights of Foreign Victims and How to Report

By Av. Talha Yayla · October 30, 2026 · 16 min read

Sexual assault is a serious crime in Turkey (Türkiye): violating a person's bodily integrity by sexual conduct is punishable by five to ten years' imprisonment, and by at least twelve years where it involves penetration (Turkish Penal Code No. 5237, Art. 102). Sexual harassment — unwanted sexual words, messages or behaviour without physical contact — carries three months to two years or a judicial fine, and more when committed at work or by electronic means (Art. 105). A victim of sexual assault is entitled to a lawyer free of charge, to an interpreter, and to protective measures, whatever her or his nationality or immigration status (Criminal Procedure Code No. 5271, Art. 234; Law No. 6284).

This guide is written for foreign residents and visitors who have been assaulted or harassed in Turkey, and for those helping them. It explains what the law covers, what to do in the first hours and days, how to report — including from abroad — what rights a victim has during the investigation and trial, and what an undocumented victim should know.

In immediate danger: call 112 (single emergency number: police, ambulance, gendarmerie). The social support line 183 is available around the clock for women, children and people at risk, and the Ministry of Interior's KADES mobile application sends an emergency alert to the police with location.

Sexual assault: 5 to 10 years; where the conduct remains at the level of molestation, 2 to 5 years (Art. 102(1)).
With penetration: not less than 12 years (Art. 102(2)).
Aggravating factors: sentence increased by half — victim unable to defend herself or himself, abuse of authority or of a service relationship, close relatives, weapon or more than one offender, communal living settings (Art. 102(3)).
Sexual harassment: 3 months to 2 years or a fine; increased by half at work, by electronic communication or by exposure; minimum one year if the victim had to leave work, school or family (Art. 105).
Children: sexual abuse of a child carries 8 to 15 years, and far more in aggravated forms (Art. 103).
Complaint: the basic forms of assault and harassment are prosecuted on the victim's complaint, within six months; the aggravated form with penetration is prosecuted without one.
Free lawyer: on request, in the investigation and at trial (Criminal Procedure Code Art. 234, 239).
Protection orders: available quickly under Law No. 6284.

Legal status of this guide. It reflects the Turkish Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code and Law No. 6284 on the Protection of the Family and Prevention of Violence against Women as in force. It is general information and not a substitute for medical, psychological or individual legal support. Last updated: October 2026.

What the law covers

Offence	Conduct	Penalty	Prosecution
Sexual assault (Art. 102(1))	Violating a person's bodily integrity by sexual conduct, without consent	5 to 10 years; 2 to 5 years where the conduct remains at the level of molestation — brief, sudden touching	On the victim's complaint
Aggravated sexual assault (Art. 102(2))	The act is committed by inserting an organ or object into the body	Not less than 12 years	Without a complaint; against a spouse, on complaint
Sexual abuse of a child (Art. 103)	Any sexual conduct towards a child under 15, or towards an older child by force, threat, deception or another cause affecting the will	8 to 15 years; 3 to 8 at the level of molestation; not less than 16 years with penetration; higher minimums where the victim is under 12	Without a complaint
Sexual intercourse with a minor aged 15 or over (Art. 104)	Without force, threat or deception	2 to 5 years	On complaint
Sexual harassment (Art. 105)	Harassing a person for sexual purposes without physical contact	3 months to 2 years or a judicial fine; 6 months to 3 years if the victim is a child	On complaint

Consent

The core of sexual assault is the absence of consent. Force is not required: an act carried out on a person who is asleep, unconscious, heavily intoxicated or drugged, or who submits out of fear, is an assault. Committing the offence against a person who is physically or mentally unable to defend herself or himself is an aggravating factor (Art. 102(3)(a)). Where the force used causes serious injury, the provisions on intentional injury apply in addition (Art. 102(4)).

Marriage and relationships

Marriage is no defence. Sexual assault by a spouse is a crime; in its aggravated form it is investigated on the victim's complaint (Art. 102(2)). A previous or current relationship with the offender does not change the nature of the act.

Who can be a victim

The provisions are gender-neutral. Men and boys are protected in the same way, as are people of any sexual orientation or gender identity.

Aggravating circumstances (Art. 102(3))

The sentence is increased by half where the offence is committed against a person unable to defend herself or himself; by abusing the influence of a public office, guardianship or a service relationship; against a relative by blood or marriage up to the third degree, or by a step-parent, step-sibling, adopter or adopted person; with a weapon or by more than one person together; or by taking advantage of settings in which people are obliged to live together.

The first hours and days

Get to a safe place. Call 112 if you are in danger.
Seek medical care. Go to the emergency department of a public or university hospital. Say what happened. Hospitals are required to notify the police, and treatment — including emergency contraception, prevention of sexually transmitted infections and injury care — is provided. You do not need to have decided about a complaint to be treated.
Preserve evidence. If you can, do not wash, change clothes, eat, drink or use the toilet before the forensic examination. If you have changed, put each item of clothing in a separate paper bag, not plastic. Forensic samples are most useful within the first days, and toxicology for suspected drugging within hours — say at once if you think you were drugged.
Keep everything. Messages, call logs, photographs, the offender's profile, taxi and payment records, location history, names of people who saw you before or after. Take screenshots before anything can be deleted.
Tell someone you trust, and contact your consulate. Consular officers can help with interpreters, contact with family, emergency travel documents and lists of lawyers. They cannot conduct the investigation.
Ask for a lawyer before giving a detailed statement. You are entitled to one free of charge.

The forensic examination

An internal examination or the taking of samples from a victim requires either the victim's consent or a decision of a judge or, in urgent cases, a prosecutor. You may ask for the examination to be carried out by a doctor of the same sex where possible, and to have a person you trust present. The report goes to the prosecutor. Ask your lawyer to obtain a copy.

How to report

Police or gendarmerie. At any station, or by calling 112. In cities there are specialised units dealing with domestic violence and violence against women. You can ask to be interviewed by a female officer.
Public prosecutor. Directly at the courthouse; larger prosecution offices have a dedicated bureau for these offences. A written complaint filed through a lawyer is often the most effective start.
Hospital. A report made on your arrival triggers notification of the police.
Violence prevention and monitoring centres (ŞÖNİM). These centres in each province coordinate shelter, psychological, legal and medical support for victims of violence.
Children. Child victims are interviewed at child monitoring centres attached to hospitals, where the forensic examination and a single recorded interview take place with specialists, a prosecutor and a lawyer.

Ask for a copy of your statement and of the complaint record, with the investigation number. If your statement is taken in Turkish, an interpreter must translate it to you before you sign; do not sign a text that has not been read back to you in a language you understand.

Complaint deadlines

Where an offence is prosecuted on complaint — the basic form of sexual assault under Article 102(1), sexual harassment, and assault against a spouse — the complaint must be made within six months of the day the victim learned of the act and of the offender's identity. After that the offence cannot be investigated.

The aggravated form involving penetration and all offences against children are investigated by the prosecutor without any complaint and without that time limit, subject to the long limitation periods that apply to serious crimes. Withdrawal of a complaint ends a complaint-based case; it does not stop a prosecution for the offences investigated of the State's own motion.

Whatever the legal period, evidence is strongest immediately. A complaint made months later can still succeed — delayed reporting is common and courts know it — but early medical and digital evidence makes a decisive difference.

Your rights as a victim

A lawyer free of charge. In cases of sexual assault and sexual abuse of children, a victim who has no lawyer may ask for one to be appointed by the bar association, at the investigation stage and at trial (Criminal Procedure Code Art. 234, 239). For a child victim, appointment is automatic. See our guide to legal aid in Turkey for foreigners.
An interpreter. A victim who does not speak sufficient Turkish is provided with an interpreter during the investigation and at the hearing (Art. 202).
To be heard once, where possible. The statements of children and of victims whose psychological state has been damaged by the offence are, as a rule, taken once, in the presence of a specialist such as a psychologist, and may be recorded so that repeated questioning is avoided.
To request evidence. The victim may ask the prosecutor to collect specific evidence — camera footage, telephone records, witnesses.
To see the file. Through a lawyer, to examine the investigation documents and obtain copies, subject to any confidentiality order.
To object. A decision not to prosecute can be challenged before the criminal judgeship of peace within the statutory period after notification.
To join the trial as a party (katılan), with the right to attend, put questions through counsel, submit evidence and appeal.
Privacy. The court can order that the hearing be closed to the public and that the victim give evidence without facing the accused, including by video link from another room.

Person at a desk reviewing a written statement — Do not sign a statement that has not been read back to you in a language you understand.

Protection measures

Law No. 6284 protects women, children, family members and victims of persistent pursuit who have been subjected to violence or are at risk of it. "Violence" expressly includes sexual violence. Measures can be ordered within hours, without evidence or documentation being required for the initial order, by the family court judge, and in urgent cases by the police or the administrative authority subject to confirmation.

an order that the offender not approach the victim, her home, workplace or school;
an order not to contact her by any means of communication;
removal of the offender from a shared home;
shelter for the victim, and temporary financial support;
temporary protection by the police where there is danger to life;
change of workplace, and in serious cases confidentiality of identity and address.

Breach of an order leads to coercive imprisonment. The procedure, and how to apply as a foreigner, is described in our guide to protection orders in Turkey.

Investigation and trial

Investigation. The prosecutor directs the police, obtains the forensic and toxicology reports, digital evidence and witness statements, and questions the suspect. The suspect may be arrested and brought before a judge with a request for pre-trial detention; for the aggravated offences, detention is frequently ordered.
Charging decision. If the evidence gives rise to sufficient suspicion, the prosecutor files an indictment; otherwise a decision not to prosecute, which the victim can challenge.
Trial. Sexual assault with penetration and child sexual abuse are tried in the heavy penal court; lesser forms in the criminal court of first instance. The victim is heard, normally once. There is no jury; professional judges decide.
Evidence. Turkish courts accept that these offences usually occur without witnesses. A consistent account supported by surrounding evidence — medical findings, messages, the victim's condition immediately afterwards as described by those who saw her, the accused's contradictory statements — can found a conviction. The psychological assessment of the victim by forensic experts is often part of the file.
Appeal. Both sides can appeal to the regional court of appeal and, for heavier sentences, to the Court of Cassation.

A victim who has returned home does not have to live in Turkey for the duration. With a lawyer acting, attendance is normally needed only to give evidence, and that can be arranged by video link or through judicial assistance from the victim's country where the court agrees.

Harassment at work and online

The criminal offence

Sexual harassment is committed by words, gestures, messages, images or behaviour of a sexual nature directed at a person without physical contact. The sentence is increased by half where the offence is committed by taking advantage of a public office, a service relationship or a family relationship; by a guardian, teacher, carer or health worker or another person with a duty of protection and supervision; by taking advantage of working in the same workplace; by taking advantage of post or electronic communication; or by exposure. Where the victim had to leave her job, school or family because of the act, the sentence cannot be less than one year (Art. 105(2)).

Physical contact, however brief, takes the conduct out of harassment and into sexual assault.

Employment remedies

An employer must protect employees from psychological and sexual harassment and take the measures needed to prevent further harm to those who have suffered it. An employee who is sexually harassed by the employer, or by a colleague or third party where the employer fails to act after being informed, may terminate the contract immediately for just cause and claim severance pay, together with compensation. Dismissal of an employee for complaining is not a valid reason. See our guides to employee rights and unfair dismissal.

Online

Unsolicited sexual messages and images are sexual harassment in its aggravated form. Threats to publish intimate images, and publishing them, are separate and more serious offences — blackmail, threat and unlawful disclosure of images of private life. Persistent unwanted contact is stalking. Preserve the messages with dates and profile details; see our guide to social media offences in Turkey for the related provisions and how content is preserved as evidence.

Immigration status and reporting

Fear of deportation keeps many victims silent. The legal position is this.

Victim rights do not depend on status. The right to complain, to a lawyer, to an interpreter and to protective measures belongs to every victim in Turkey, including a person whose visa has expired or who has no residence permit.
Protection from removal. The Law on Foreigners and International Protection provides that a deportation decision is not to be taken in respect of victims of psychological, physical or sexual violence until their treatment is completed, and in respect of victims of human trafficking benefiting from the support process.
Residence. A humanitarian residence permit can be granted without the usual conditions where circumstances require it, and a victim of domestic violence who held a family residence permit can obtain a permit in her own right without the normal qualifying period. See our guides to the humanitarian residence permit and the residence permit after divorce.
Trafficking. Where the assault occurred in a setting of forced prostitution or forced labour, the victim may be entitled to the special protection for trafficking victims; see our guide to victims of human trafficking in Turkey.
Workers without permits who are harassed or assaulted by an employer are victims of a crime; the employer's threat to "report" them does not remove their rights and is itself evidence of coercion.

That said, contact with the police does bring a person's status to the authorities' attention. An undocumented victim should, where time allows, speak to a lawyer first, so that the complaint, a request for protective measures and the status question are presented together.

Assaulted or harassed in Turkey, or supporting someone who was? Messages to us are confidential. Message Yayla Law on WhatsApp or use the contact form. We can file the complaint, request protective measures and act for you if you have left the country.

Reporting after you have left Turkey

Many visitors report only once they are home. A complaint is still possible.

Through a lawyer in Turkey under a power of attorney signed at a Turkish consulate or before a notary with apostille. The lawyer files the complaint with the prosecutor of the place where the offence occurred, with your written statement and evidence. See our guide to powers of attorney for Turkey.
Through the Turkish consulate, which can receive a complaint and transmit it.
Through your own police, who can record your statement and medical evidence and transmit them via international police or judicial cooperation channels. This is slower but creates an official record close to the event; some countries can also prosecute offences committed against their nationals abroad.
Medical evidence from home. An examination carried out on return, even days later, and records of psychological treatment are admissible. Obtain them and have them translated.
Hotel, tour operator and platform. Report in writing and ask for preservation of camera footage, key-card logs and booking records; such data is overwritten within weeks. Your lawyer can ask the prosecutor to seize it.

Remember the six-month complaint period for the complaint-based forms.

Compensation

Against the offender: a civil claim for pecuniary losses — treatment, therapy, lost earnings, travel — and for non-pecuniary damages. It can be brought in the civil courts alongside or after the criminal case; a criminal conviction establishes the facts.
Against an employer who failed to prevent or respond to harassment at work.
Against a hotel, club or other business whose staff committed the offence or whose failure of supervision or security contributed to it.
Against the State, in limited circumstances, where authorities who knew of a specific risk failed to protect.

Limitation periods for civil claims based on a criminal act follow the longer criminal limitation period, but a claim should be prepared while evidence is available.

Frequently asked questions

What is the punishment for sexual assault in Turkey?

Five to ten years' imprisonment; two to five where the conduct remains at the level of molestation; at least twelve years where it involves penetration; increased by half in aggravated circumstances.

Is sexual harassment a crime in Turkey?

Yes. It carries three months to two years or a fine, increased by half when committed at work or by electronic communication, with a minimum of one year if the victim had to leave work, school or family.

How long do I have to report?

Six months from learning of the act and the offender for the basic forms of assault and harassment. The aggravated form and offences against children are investigated without a complaint. Report as early as you can for the sake of evidence.

Will I get a lawyer and an interpreter?

Yes. A victim of sexual assault can ask for a lawyer free of charge, and an interpreter is provided if you do not speak sufficient Turkish.

Can I be deported if I report and have no valid visa?

Your rights as a victim do not depend on status, and the law bars deportation of victims of sexual violence while their treatment continues. Speak to a lawyer so that protection and status are addressed together.

Is rape within marriage a crime?

Yes. Sexual assault by a spouse is punishable; it is investigated on the victim's complaint.

Can I report after I have gone home?

Yes — through a lawyer in Turkey under a power of attorney, through the Turkish consulate, or through your own police. Preserve medical and digital evidence.

Do I have to face the accused in court?

The court can hear you without the accused present, by video link, and can close the hearing to the public.

What if my employer harassed me?

It is a crime in its aggravated form. You may also terminate your contract for just cause with severance pay and claim compensation.

Legal basis and sources

Turkish Penal Code No. 5237, Articles 73 and 102–105 — official consolidated text at mevzuat.gov.tr.
Criminal Procedure Code No. 5271, Articles 202, 234, 236 and 239 — mevzuat.gov.tr.
Law No. 6284 on the Protection of the Family and Prevention of Violence against Women — mevzuat.gov.tr.
Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458, Articles 46 and 55; Labour Law No. 4857, Article 24; Code of Obligations No. 6098, Article 417.

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