Turkey — Legal Help

Sex work is legal only inside state-licensed brothels registered under the 1961 General Health Law and the Regulation on Combating Prostitution; street work and unlicensed premises are administrative offences and workers are routinely fined or deported. Minimum age for registered sex work is 21; general age of consent under the 2004 Turkish Penal Code (Law No. 5237, Art. 103–104) is 18 for anything commercial. Trafficking is prosecuted under Art. 80.

Drug offences under Law No. 2313 carry 2–5 years for possession, more for supply — no cannabis tolerance. If detained, insist on your consulate and a lawyer; UK, US, Australian, Canadian, and Irish embassies sit in Ankara with Istanbul consulates. They will not pay fines or provide legal representation.