Judicial fine

A judicial fine is a penalty paid to the State Treasury, calculated by multiplying the whole number of days set by the judge by the amount assessed for one day (TCK 52/1). Unlike an administrative fine, it is a criminal conviction. The system is also known internationally as day-fines.

Calculation

• Number of days: not less than 5 and, unless the law provides otherwise, not more than 730 days.
• Daily amount: at least 100 and at most 500 Turkish lira. The judge takes into account the person’s economic and other personal circumstances. These limits were set by Law No. 7499 of 2 March 2024.
• The number of days and the daily amount are stated separately in the judgment.

For example, a fine set at 200 days at 150 lira per day amounts to 30,000 lira.

For some offences the law exceeds the upper limit of 730 days: up to 5,000 day-fines for aggravated fraud, and up to 20,000 day-fines for drug manufacture and trafficking.

Payment

• The judge may grant a period of up to 1 year from the date the judgment becomes final, or allow payment in instalments.
• The instalment period may not exceed 2 years, and there may not be fewer than four instalments.
• If an instalment is not paid on time, the whole remaining amount becomes payable; an unpaid judicial fine is converted into imprisonment (TCK 52/4).

Conversion of imprisonment

Short-term imprisonment of 1 year or less may be converted into a judicial fine as an alternative sanction (TCK 50/1-a).