Changes To Turkish Procedural Law Under The 12th Judicial Reform Package

Law No. 7589, commonly referred to as the 12th Judicial Reform Package, has introduced substantial amendments to several long-debated areas of civil and administrative procedure. The most notable change is the abolition of the action for an unquantified claim, which had been available since 2011, and the incorporation of its principal procedural safeguards into the rules governing partial actions. The amendments also provide that, as a general rule, no more than three months may elapse between hearings in civil proceedings, facilitate remote participation in hearings, and revise the appellate remedies available in relation to the consolidation of actions. While these measures are intended to expedite judicial proceedings, they also introduce a new procedural framework for matters that may directly result in the loss of substantive rights, including the selection of the appropriate form of action, the increase of the amount claimed, and the interruption of limitation periods.