Prostitution Prostitution laws in TurkeyTürkiye
Turkey runs a state-licensed brothel system under the 1961 regulation on registered women and brothels, issued under Public Hygiene Law No. 1593 and last amended in 1973. Local commissions register women as "genel kadın", who must be at least 21, Turkish citizens and not stateless, and subject them to compulsory medical examinations; opening a genelev requires an application to the highest local civil administrator, commission review and police permission. Article 227 of the Penal Code punishes encouraging, facilitating or mediating prostitution or providing a place for it with two to four years, and since 2016 distributing material prepared to facilitate or mediate prostitution with one to three years. Under Law No. 5651, online content raising sufficient suspicion of an Article 227 offence can be removed or access to it blocked. Buying sex from an adult is not an offence.
Legal model
Regulation (legal & licensed). Selling sex and running venues are legal under a licensing or registration regime.
A 1961 regulation (Tüzük) issued under the 1930 Public Hygiene Law provides for licensed brothels (genelev) and the registration of women as "genel kadın", with commission oversight and compulsory medical checks. Outside that system, the Penal Code criminalises encouraging, facilitating or mediating prostitution and providing a place for it (Article 227); buying is not an offence.[1][2]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Licensed | Women may sell sex legally within the registration system: a commission registers them as "genel kadın" if they are at least 21, Turkish citizens and not stateless, and they must undergo periodic official medical examinations. The Penal Code does not make selling sex itself an offence.[1][2] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | Paying an adult for sex is not an offence under the Penal Code. Article 227 targets those who encourage, facilitate or mediate prostitution or provide a place for it.[2] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Licensed Breach: criminal offence | Genel evler (brothels) may operate with permission: the applicant applies to the highest local civil administrator, the commission inspects the building and the people involved, and police grant permission. Operators may not admit women under 21 or women not registered by the commission. Providing a place for prostitution outside this system is a crime under Article 227(2).[1][2] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Encouraging a person into prostitution, facilitating it, mediating it or providing a place for it is punishable by two to four years' imprisonment and a judicial fine of up to 3,000 days; living wholly or partly off the earnings of a person drawn into prostitution counts as encouragement. Force, threats, deceit or exploiting helplessness increase the penalty by half to double.[2] |
| Advertising sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | Giving, distributing or disseminating products containing images, texts or words prepared to facilitate or mediate prostitution is punishable by one to three years and a judicial fine of 200 to 2,000 days. The paragraph was reintroduced by Law No. 6763 in 2016.[2][3] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Women may sell sex legally within the registration system: a commission registers them as "genel kadın" if they are at least 21, Turkish citizens and not stateless, and they must undergo periodic official medical examinations. The Penal Code does not make selling sex itself an offence.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. The regulation is written for women only. How people selling sex outside the registration system are sanctioned in practice (for example under misdemeanour law) was not checked for this overview.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
Paying an adult for sex is not an offence under the Penal Code. Article 227 targets those who encourage, facilitate or mediate prostitution or provide a place for it.[2]
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Genel evler (brothels) may operate with permission: the applicant applies to the highest local civil administrator, the commission inspects the building and the people involved, and police grant permission. Operators may not admit women under 21 or women not registered by the commission. Providing a place for prostitution outside this system is a crime under Article 227(2).[1][2]
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Encouraging a person into prostitution, facilitating it, mediating it or providing a place for it is punishable by two to four years' imprisonment and a judicial fine of up to 3,000 days; living wholly or partly off the earnings of a person drawn into prostitution counts as encouragement. Force, threats, deceit or exploiting helplessness increase the penalty by half to double.[2]
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
Giving, distributing or disseminating products containing images, texts or words prepared to facilitate or mediate prostitution is punishable by one to three years and a judicial fine of 200 to 2,000 days. The paragraph was reintroduced by Law No. 6763 in 2016.[2][3]
Law No. 5651, Article 8(1)(a)(6), lists prostitution (TCK Article 227) among the offences for which a decision to remove content and/or block access is taken where there is sufficient suspicion that online publications constitute the offence.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Genel Kadınlar ve Genelevlerin Tabi Olacakları Hükümler ve Fuhuş Yüzünden Bulaşan Zührevi Hastalıklarla Mücadele Tüzüğü Regulation on registered women and brothels and on combating venereal diseases spread through prostitution (1961) md. 15–22 · md. 50–52 · md. 62 | Sets up the commissions, registration of "genel kadın", medical checks and the permit procedure for brothels.[1] | 19 April 1961 |
| 5237 sayılı Türk Ceza Kanunu Turkish Penal Code No. 5237 (2004) md. 227 | Article 227 criminalises encouraging, facilitating, mediating and providing a place for prostitution, and distributing material that facilitates it.[2] | |
| 5651 sayılı İnternet Ortamında Yapılan Yayınların Düzenlenmesi ve Bu Yayınlar Yoluyla İşlenen Suçlarla Mücadele Edilmesi Hakkında Kanun Law No. 5651 on internet publications md. 8 | Article 8 provides for removal of and blocking access to online content relating to Article 227 offences.[3] |
Timeline
- 19 April 1961Regulation on registered women and brothels published in the Official Gazette (No. 10786).[1]
- 31 January 1973Council of Ministers decision 7/5786 amends the regulation, including the definition of "genel kadın".[1]
- 24 November 2016Law No. 6763 reintroduces Article 227(3) of the Penal Code on distributing material that facilitates prostitution.[2]
Sources
- Genel Kadınlar ve Genelevlerin Tabi Olacakları Hükümler ve Fuhuş Yüzünden Bulaşan Zührevi Hastalıklarla Mücadele Tüzüğü (Regulation on the Provisions Governing Registered Women and Brothels and on Combating Venereal Diseases Spread through Prostitution). Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Hukuk ve Mevzuat Genel Müdürlüğü), 19 April 1961. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- 5237 sayılı Türk Ceza Kanunu (Turkish Penal Code No. 5237). Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Hukuk ve Mevzuat Genel Müdürlüğü). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- 5651 sayılı İnternet Ortamında Yapılan Yayınların Düzenlenmesi ve Bu Yayınlar Yoluyla İşlenen Suçlarla Mücadele Edilmesi Hakkında Kanun (Law No. 5651 on Regulating Internet Publications and Combating Crimes Committed through Them). Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Hukuk ve Mevzuat Genel Müdürlüğü). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026