Adliye

Adliye is a Turkish term that refers to the courthouse or the judiciary complex in Turkey and Turkish-speaking contexts. It denotes the building housing the courts and, by extension, the offices and facilities of the judiciary. The term is commonly used in references to specific courthouses, for example Ankara Adliyesi or İstanbul Adliyesi, and can also denote the judiciary as an institution.

Etimology and historical usage: Adliye derives from the concept of adalet, meaning justice. In the Ottoman period, adliye denoted the justice administration, including institutions resembling a ministry of justice. In modern Turkish, adliye retains the sense of the courthouse building and, more broadly, the judiciary, while the ministry is named Adalet Bakanlığı. The everyday distinction is that mahkeme refers to the court or trial itself, whereas adliye refers to the physical complex or district judiciary facilities.

Function and layout: An adliye complex typically houses courtrooms for civil, criminal, administrative, and family cases, along with judges’ chambers, prosecutors’ offices, registries, archives, and security checkpoints. It serves as the operational hub for a province’s judiciary and often includes administrative services such as case registration, summons processing, and records management.

Usage: In usage, adliye can signify both the courthouse building and, by metonymy, the judiciary as an institution within a jurisdiction. Plural forms such as Adliyeler and Adliye binası are common in Turkish media and discourse.

Examples of significance: In large cities, major courthouses like the Istanbul Adliyesi and the Ankara Adliyesi anchor judicial operations and frequently appear in discussions of trials, reforms, and legal administration.