Child Abduction to Turkey: Why "Settling In" Is Not a Valid Defense to a Return Order
When a child is brought to Turkey by one parent without the other's consent — or kept there after a holiday ends — the left-behind parent's first fear is often the same: "my child has already started school here, will the court let them stay just because time has passed?" Under the 1980 Hague Convention and Turkey's implementing statute, Law No. 5717, the answer is consistently no. Turkish courts, including the Court of Cassation (Yargıtay), have repeatedly held that a child's adjustment to a new environment — or their age alone — does not by itself justify refusing to return them.
ℹ️ Quick Answer
Turkish courts require concrete, proven evidence of a "grave risk" of physical or psychological harm before refusing a return order. Simply having settled into a new school, home, or routine in Turkey is not, on its own, sufficient grounds to deny the return.
Parents contact our office in connection with children brought to Turkey from many Hague Convention countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Canada, and Australia. The legal framework described below applies regardless of the child's country of habitual residence.
In This Article:
- → What Counts as Wrongful Removal or Retention?
- → The Legal Framework: The Hague Convention and Law No. 5717
- → Who Actually Files the Return Case in Turkey?
- → Emergency Protective Measures
- → Why "Settling In" Does Not Defeat a Return Order
- → How Are Return Cases Actually Decided?
- → Do You Need to Travel to Turkey?
- → Frequently Asked Questions
What Counts as Wrongful Removal or Retention?
Quick answer: Removal or retention is wrongful when it breaches custody rights that were actually being exercised under the law of the child's country of habitual residence immediately before the move.
One important limit: under Article 4 of the 1980 Convention, this protection ends once the child turns 16 years old. The Court of Cassation has overturned lower-court return orders solely because the child reached that age during the proceedings.
The Legal Framework: The Hague Convention and Law No. 5717
Quick answer: Turkey has been bound by the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction since 1 August 2000, and applies it domestically through Law No. 5717 on the Legal Aspects and Scope of International Child Abduction, in force since 4 December 2007.
Turkey's designated Central Authority is the Ministry of Justice, Directorate General for International Law and Foreign Relations. Jurisdiction over these disputes belongs to the Family Court (Aile Mahkemesi) in the province where the child is located.
Who Actually Files the Return Case in Turkey?
Quick answer: Not the parent personally. Under Law No. 5717, the return lawsuit is filed by the local Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, acting on behalf of the Central Authority — not by the left-behind parent's private counsel as plaintiff of record.
⚠️ A Common and Costly Misunderstanding
Turkish courts have dismissed return petitions filed directly by a parent for lack of standing, since only the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office may bring the case on the Central Authority's behalf. Filing the wrong way can cost weeks or months.
In practice, this means the left-behind parent's role — and their lawyer's role — is to ensure the Central Authority application is prepared correctly and forwarded without delay, and then to represent the parent's interests as an active party throughout the hearings, evidence submissions, and any appeal.
Emergency Protective Measures
Quick answer: While the case is pending, the Family Court can order a range of protective measures, on request or on its own initiative, to prevent the child from being hidden or moved again.
If a final return order is later ignored, non-compliance can trigger disciplinary imprisonment of up to three months under Article 41/F of Law No. 5395, enforced through the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office once a complaint is filed within one month of the breach.
Why "Settling In" Does Not Defeat a Return Order
Quick answer: The Convention's only real exceptions are narrow — proven grave risk of physical or psychological harm, or an intolerable situation for the child. Comfort in a new environment, or a young child's age, are not on that list.
✅ What the Court of Cassation Has Held
In a case involving children brought from the United Kingdom without the father's knowledge, the lower court's refusal to order return was reversed. The Court of Cassation confirmed that a child's adjustment to their new surroundings, and their age, are not accepted grounds for refusing return under the Convention. See the full decisions below.
This does not mean return is automatic. Where a parent can show genuine, documented risk factors — not simply the passage of time — Turkish courts have declined to order return. The outcome turns on the strength of the evidence, not on how long the child has already been in Turkey.
How Are Return Cases Actually Decided?
Quick answer: Through a structured process involving a mandatory settlement attempt, an expert evaluation, and a hearing — not a single hearing where the judge simply decides based on how settled the child appears.
Do You Need to Travel to Turkey?
Quick answer: No. An apostilled or consular-certified Power of Attorney allows your lawyer to prepare the Central Authority application, request protective measures, and represent you throughout the Family Court proceedings without your physical presence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is taking a child out of the country without the other parent's consent a crime in Turkey?
It can give rise to both the civil return process described above and, depending on the facts, separate criminal liability under the Turkish Penal Code. The two tracks are evaluated independently.
How long does a Hague Convention return case take in Turkey?
Timelines vary case by case, largely depending on the settlement attempt, how quickly the expert report is obtained, and whether the decision is appealed. Filing promptly, before any Article 13 "settled" argument has time to develop, generally helps move the case forward.
What if the other parent is also a Turkish citizen?
Nationality does not change the legal framework. What matters is the child's habitual residence immediately before the removal or retention, not either parent's citizenship.
Can I get temporary contact with my child while the case is pending?
Yes. The Family Court may order temporary personal contact between the applicant parent and the child while the return case is ongoing.
Take Timely Legal Action
The sooner the Central Authority application and Family Court proceedings begin, the sooner any "settled in Turkey" argument can be addressed. Maya Avukatlık Bürosu represents left-behind parents in international child abduction and cross-border custody matters in Turkey.
Contact Our Family Law TeamEmsal Yargıtay Kararları
Yargıtay 2. Hukuk Dairesi 01.11.2024 T. 2024/8322 E. 2024/8168 K.
Toplanan delillerden, davalı anne tarafından çocukların mutat meskenleri olan İngiltere`den 29.10.2022 tarihinde babanın haberi olmadan Türkiye`ye getirildikleri, annenin kanundan doğan koruma hakkını ihlal etmek suretiyle ortak çocukları haksız olarak alıkoyduğu, davacı babanın sözleşme hükümleri uyarınca çocukların mutat meskene iadesinin temini için İngiltere merkezi makamına başvuruda bulunduğu anlaşılmaktadır. Bunun yanı sıra, alınan sosyal inceleme raporunda çocukların uzmana babalarını sevdiklerini söylediği, duruşmada dinlenen çocuklardan ...`nın anne ve babası arasındaki sorunları anlattığı, babanın bire bir çocuklara yönelik olumsuz bir davranışının olduğu hususunun kanıtlanmadığı tespit edilmiştir.
Dolayısıyla iade isteğinin reddini gerektirecek vahim bir tehlikenin varlığı veya geri dönmenin çocuğun fiziksel ve psikolojik bir tehlikeye maruz bırakacağı ya da başka bir şekilde müsamaha edilemeyecek bir duruma düşüreceğine dair ciddi bir riskin ve sözleşmede kabul edilen diğer iadeden kaçınma sebeplerinin varlığı kanıtlanamamıştır. Sözleşmede küçüğün anne yanında bulunduğu ortama alışması ve yaşı da iadeden kaçınma sebebi olarak kabul edilmemiştir. Somut koşullar itibari ile çocukların mutat meskenlerine iadesinin çocuklar açısından ciddi bir risk oluşturacağının ortaya konulması gerekmektedir. Bu durumda iade isteğinin reddini gerektirecek sebepler somut olayda mevcut olmayıp, davanın kabulüne karar verilmesi gerekirken davanın reddine karar verilmesi doğru olmamış ve bozmayı gerektirmiştir.
Yargıtay 2. Hukuk Dairesi 12.09.2022 T. 2022/7603 E. 2022/6922 K.
Sözleşmede küçüğün anne yanında bulunduğu ortama alışması ve yaşı, iadeden kaçınma sebebi olarak kabul edilmemiştir.
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