Erdoğan says Türkiye to weigh legal review on juvenile crime

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sept. 8 his government will review legislation and introduce new measures to curb the rising involvement of minors in crime, following a deadly attack by a 16-year-old boy on a police station in western Türkiye.

"I believe this issue must be addressed from multiple perspectives, including sociological, psychological, pedagogical and family dimensions," Erdoğan said in televised remarks after a cabinet meeting.

The president’s comments came hours after a teenager, identified as E.B., opened fire with a shotgun at a police station in İzmir, killing two officers before being detained.

The motive for the attack remains unclear, as İzmir Governor Süleyman Elban told reporters that the suspect had no criminal record. Local media said the boy had shared posts linked to extremist groups, including ISIL.

"The fact that the perpetrators of murders and crimes that have touched our hearts, including today’s heinous attack, are from this age group is causing justified outrage among our people," Erdoğan said. He accused organized crime networks, terrorist groups and gangs of deliberately targeting children.

Erdoğan also cited the influence of digital platforms, popular culture, TV series, music and violent video games in promoting "illicit lifestyles."

"As the government, we will address the issue, including the review of legislation, before the problem becomes more acute. Wwe will do this guided by our history, culture and universal legal norms," he said. "We, as a nation, must work together to solve this problem, which concerns not only our peace and security, but also our future."

The issue of juvenile crime has been the subject of growing public debate in Türkiye. In January, the fatal stabbing of Turkish-Italian teenager Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi by two peers in Istanbul renewed calls for tougher penalties.

Under Turkish law, minors cannot receive life sentences, and their punishments are automatically reduced according to age.

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said earlier this month that a new draft law seeks to narrow such reductions. For intentional killings committed by those aged 16 and older, no sentence cut will be applied at a judge’s discretion, daily Hürriyet quoted him as saying.

The proposal also includes disciplinary prison sentences for parents or guardians who fail to comply with court orders related to child protection.

Erdoğan's remarks came the same day he signed a convention on children’s rights in the digital world. The agreement sets responsibilities for families, technology firms and social media platforms to ensure children’s safety online, according to Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş.