Turkish Law in EnglishTÜRKİYE
Code of Criminal Procedure

Article 188: Persons to be present at the hearing

Book Three: Prosecution Stage › Part One: Conduct of the Public Action › Chapter Two: Hearing

(1) The presence at the hearing of the judges who will participate in the judgment, the public prosecutor and the court clerk, and, in cases where the Law provides for mandatory defence counsel, of the defence counsel, is mandatory. Added sentence: 3/10/2016, Decree-Law No. 676, Art. 5; adopted without amendment: 1/2/2018, Law No. 7070, Art. 5 Where the defence counsel fails to attend the hearing without an excuse or leaves the hearing, the hearing may be continued.

(2) Repealed: 18/6/2014, Law No. 6545, Art. 103

(3) In a case that will not be concluded in one session, a substitute member may be kept present in order to replace a member who is unable to attend for any reason and to participate in the vote.

Original Turkish text

MADDE 188 · Duruşmada hazır bulunacaklar

(1) Duruşmada, hükme katılacak hâkimler ve Cumhuriyet savcısı ile zabıt kâtibinin ve Kanunun zorunlu müdafiliği kabul ettiği hâllerde müdafiin hazır bulunması şarttır. (Ek cümle: 3/10/2016-KHK-676/5 md.; Aynen kabul: 1/2/2018-7070/5 md.) Müdafiin mazeretsiz olarak duruşmaya gelmemesi veya duruşmayı terk etmesi halinde duruşmaya devam edilebilir.

(2) (Mülga: 18/6/2014 - 6545/103 md.)

(3) Bir oturumda bitmeyecek davada, herhangi bir nedenle bulunamayacak üyenin yerine geçmek ve oya katılmak üzere yedek üye bulundurulabilir.

Text as of 1 October 2026 · Official source (Turkish): mevzuat.gov.tr ↗

Unofficial translation for information only. The Turkish text published in the Official Gazette is the only authoritative version. This page is not legal advice.