Filing a criminal complaint in Turkey is the first formal step for a person who claims to be the victim of a crime. For Turkish citizens and foreign nationals alike, this step may determine how the investigation will be conducted, which evidence will be collected, and whether the public prosecutor will eventually file an indictment.
A criminal complaint is not merely a statement that “a crime has been committed.” It is a legal application that should explain the facts clearly, identify the possible criminal conduct, present available evidence, and request the necessary investigative measures. For this reason, the way a complaint is prepared and filed can have a significant impact on the entire criminal process.
This article explains how criminal complaints are filed in Turkey, where they can be submitted, what they should include, what happens after filing, and how a criminal lawyer can assist victims throughout the investigation.
A criminal complaint is an application made by a victim, injured party, or in some cases another person with legal standing, asking the competent authorities to investigate an alleged criminal offence.
In Turkey, criminal investigations are mainly conducted under the authority of the public prosecutor. The complainant does not personally “open a criminal case” in the same way that a claimant may file a civil lawsuit. Instead, the complainant informs the authorities of the alleged crime and requests an investigation.
If the prosecutor finds sufficient suspicion that a crime has been committed, an indictment may be prepared and submitted to the criminal court. If the prosecutor concludes that there is not enough evidence, or that the matter does not constitute a criminal offence, a decision of non-prosecution may be issued.
Therefore, the purpose of a criminal complaint is to initiate and guide the investigation by presenting the facts and evidence in a legally meaningful way.
A criminal complaint may be filed before different authorities in Turkey. In practice, the most common options are the following:
The most direct way is to submit a written complaint petition to the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. This is usually the preferred method when the case requires a detailed legal explanation, supporting documents, or specific requests for evidence collection.
A properly drafted petition allows the complainant to present the case in an organized manner. This is especially important in fraud, assault, threats, sexual offences, domestic violence, cybercrimes, workplace-related offenses, and cases involving foreign nationals.
A complaint can also be made at a police station or, outside urban areas, before the gendarmerie. The officers will record the statement and forward the matter to the prosecutor.
However, oral statements given at police stations may sometimes be incomplete, emotionally expressed, or insufficiently supported by evidence. For serious or complex cases, it is usually better to file a written complaint petition with legal assistance.
A criminal complaint may also be filed through a lawyer. This is often the most effective method in cases where the facts must be legally classified, evidence must be preserved quickly, or the complainant does not speak Turkish.
For foreign nationals, working with an English-speaking criminal lawyer in Turkey may prevent procedural mistakes and communication problems at the earliest stage of the investigation.
A criminal complaint should be clear, structured, and evidence-based. A long narrative is not always an effective complaint. What matters is whether the petition explains the facts in a way that helps the prosecutor understand what happened, why it may constitute a crime, and which evidence should be collected.
A well-prepared criminal complaint should usually include:
The complaint should include the identity and contact details of the complainant. If the suspect is known, their identity, address, phone number, workplace, social media accounts, or any other identifying information should be included.
If the suspect is unknown, the complaint can still be filed. In such cases, the petition should explain what information may help identify the suspect.
The facts should be explained in chronological order. Dates, locations, names, conversations, financial transactions, physical acts, threats, messages, and all relevant details should be presented clearly.
The prosecutor should be able to understand the sequence of events without confusion.
Evidence is one of the most important parts of a criminal complaint. Depending on the case, the following materials may be relevant:
photographs and videos;
CCTV footage;
WhatsApp messages and call records;
emails and social media correspondence;
witness names and contact details;
medical reports;
bank records and receipts;
contracts, invoices, delivery documents;
hotel, airport, or workplace records;
vehicle plate numbers;
screenshots and digital evidence.
The complaint should not only attach evidence but also explain why each piece of evidence is relevant.
In many cases, some evidence is not directly available to the complainant. For example, CCTV footage may be held by a hotel, airport, store, apartment building, public institution, or police unit. Phone records, bank documents, and digital logs may also require official requests.
The complaint petition should expressly request the prosecutor to collect such evidence before it disappears or becomes unavailable.
This is particularly important for camera recordings, because many businesses and institutions delete footage after a short period.
The complainant is not expected to make a perfect legal classification. However, a lawyer-drafted complaint can explain which offences may be relevant under Turkish criminal law.
For example, the same factual event may involve threats, insult, intentional injury, fraud, breach of trust, violation of privacy, sexual harassment, or other offences. Correct legal framing may help the prosecutor focus on the right investigative steps.
After a complaint is filed, the prosecutor evaluates whether the allegations require a criminal investigation. If an investigation is initiated, several procedural steps may follow.
The prosecutor may order the police or gendarmerie to collect evidence, take statements, identify suspects, obtain expert reports, request camera recordings, examine digital materials, or collect medical and financial records.
The suspect may be invited to give a statement. Witnesses may also be heard. In serious cases, search, seizure, arrest, detention, judicial control, or other measures may be considered depending on the nature of the offence and the available evidence.
At the end of the investigation, the prosecutor generally has two main options.
If there is sufficient suspicion, an indictment may be prepared and submitted to the competent criminal court. If the court accepts the indictment, the prosecution stage begins.
If the prosecutor finds that the evidence is insufficient, the act is not a crime, or prosecution is legally impossible, a decision of non-prosecution may be issued.
In certain cases, the complainant may object to a decision of non-prosecution within the legal time limit.
Time limits are very important in Turkish criminal law.
Some offenses are investigated ex officio. This means the prosecutor may investigate them without a formal complaint by the victim. Serious offences such as homicide, robbery, drug trafficking, and many sexual offences are generally investigated in this manner.
However, some offenses are complaint-based. For these offences, the investigation or prosecution depends on the victim filing a complaint within the legal period. Under Turkish law, the general complaint period for complaint-based offences is six months from the date the victim learns both the act and the identity of the perpetrator.
This distinction is crucial. If the offense is subject to complaint and the complaint is not filed in time, the authorities may be unable to proceed.
Because the classification of an offense may affect the applicable time limit, victims should seek legal advice as soon as possible after the incident.
In criminal investigations, evidence must often be preserved quickly. A delayed or poorly prepared complaint may cause important evidence to disappear.
For example, camera recordings may be deleted, witnesses may become unreachable, digital messages may be removed, and physical traces may no longer be available.
For this reason, the first legal step should not be taken casually. A strong criminal complaint should not only describe what happened but also identify what must be collected immediately.
In practice, early evidence strategy may be decisive. A case that appears weak at the beginning may become stronger if the right evidence is requested on time. Conversely, a serious allegation may become difficult to prove if the complaint does not direct the authorities toward the necessary evidence.
Yes. Foreign nationals can file criminal complaints in Turkey if they are victims of a crime or if the incident has a sufficient connection with Turkey.
This may include tourists, business visitors, foreign residents, students, workers, and persons temporarily staying in Turkey. Common examples include assault, theft, fraud, threats, sexual offences, domestic violence, hotel or rental disputes involving criminal conduct, airport incidents, and online crimes connected to Turkey.
Foreign complainants may face additional practical difficulties, such as language barriers, travel plans, lack of Turkish address, unfamiliarity with the legal system, and difficulty following the investigation after leaving Turkey.
In such cases, legal representation is especially important. A lawyer can file the complaint, follow the investigation, communicate with the prosecutor’s office, submit additional evidence, and inform the client about procedural developments.
A criminal lawyer can assist at every stage of the complaint process.
First, the lawyer evaluates whether the facts may constitute a criminal offence or whether the matter is primarily a civil dispute. This distinction is important because not every unfair, harmful, or dishonest act automatically constitutes a crime.
Second, the lawyer identifies the legally relevant facts and prepares a structured complaint petition. A professional petition avoids unnecessary emotional language and focuses on facts, evidence, legal classification, and investigative requests.
Third, the lawyer helps preserve evidence. This may include requesting CCTV footage, identifying witnesses, organizing digital correspondence, obtaining medical reports, and submitting documents in a way that can be properly examined by the authorities.
Fourth, the lawyer follows the investigation. Filing the complaint is only the beginning. The file should be monitored, additional petitions may be submitted, and missing evidence may need to be requested.
Finally, if a decision of non-prosecution is issued, the lawyer may assess whether an objection should be filed.
Tasdogen & Partners assists Turkish citizens and foreign nationals in filing and following criminal complaints in Turkey.
Our work includes evaluating the facts, identifying the possible criminal offences, preparing detailed complaint petitions, organizing evidence, requesting urgent investigative measures, communicating with prosecution authorities, and following the investigation until a procedural decision is reached.
We also assist foreign clients who do not speak Turkish or who are no longer in Turkey but need legal representation before Turkish authorities.
In criminal matters, early legal action is often critical. A well-prepared complaint may help ensure that the relevant evidence is collected on time and that the case is presented to the prosecutor in a clear, organized, and legally persuasive manner.
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