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A report by Türkiye’s Interior Ministry shows that in 2025, 71% of children described as “driven into crime” were aged 15–17, while 29% were in the 12–14 age group.
The report said children were involved in 266 of the 1,764 intentional homicide cases recorded in 2025 and that the total number of children involved in murder cases reached 478.
According to the report, during the 2020–2025 period, intentional homicide cases involving children accounted for an average of 15% of all such cases nationwide.
In 2025 alone, children were involved in 266 intentional homicide cases out of a total of 1,764.
The report noted that in some incidents, such as the Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi and Atlas Caglayan cases, more than one child was involved in the same killing. It added that the total number of children linked to homicide cases that year stood at 478.
The report highlighted a marked rise in several categories of crimes involving children. It said intentional injury cases increased by 68%, sexual offenses by 64%, and drug-related crimes by 144.8%.
One of the most striking findings concerned organized crime. The ministry said the use of children by organized crime groups has emerged as a major recent problem, with the number of children involved in organized crime rising by 236.4%.
According to reporting by Türkiye daily cited in the report, the average age at which 11 nationally prominent organized crime leaders currently in the public spotlight first became involved in crime was 17.7.
Seven of those figures reportedly became involved before the age of 18, while four did so after turning 18.
The report assessed that organized crime groups particularly use children in drive-by shooting incidents, adding that existing legal regulations are not sufficiently deterrent. As a result, children are often viewed by criminal networks as “low-risk operatives.”
The report also cited international comparisons regarding the age of criminal responsibility. It noted that the age is 13 in France, 14 in Germany and 10 in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it said, 24 states apply no minimum age in terms of criminal responsibility.
Among its proposals, the Interior Ministry suggested that for children aged 15–18 involved in so-called catalog crimes, including intentional homicide, organized crime, drug offenses and terrorism, a medical assessment should be requested regarding how the crime was committed.
If experts determine that the offense was carried out “with adult awareness,” the report said, those children should be considered fully responsible in terms of criminal capacity and should not benefit from sentence reductions.
Other recommendations included imposing prison sentences of no less than 15 years on individuals who use children as instruments in drug trafficking, closely monitoring rehabilitation and reform processes if detention periods for “children driven into crime” are extended, and introducing new regulations for transfers to child education homes based on suitability assessments following evaluation.
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