Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said Tuesday that crime has risen in Türkiye and across many other nations, pointing to unemployment, migration, income inequality, and moral decline as contributing causes.
Cicek also singled out the frequency of political amnesties as a likely factor, noting that Türkiye's governments had granted pardons 48 times in the republic's 83-year history, often benefiting even serious offenders who received no meaningful rehabilitation.
Speaking at a joint seminar organized by Türkiye's Ministries of Justice and Interior Affairs alongside the U.S. Institute of Research and Development of Legal Systems, Cicek discussed alternative dispute-resolution approaches and police detention practices. He also underscored the value of ongoing Türkiye-U.S. cooperation on counterterrorism and anti-money-laundering efforts.
On the state of the judiciary, the minister acknowledged a chronic shortage of judges and prosecutors, who collectively manage millions of pending cases. He said conventional remedies are inadequate and announced that Türkiye has begun piloting a formal reconciliation process as one internationally recognized alternative to traditional court proceedings.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in April 2006, in its own words.