Mahkemeleri

Mahkemeleri is the plural form of mahkeme in Turkish, meaning courts of law. The term is used to describe the institutions within the Turkish judiciary that interpret and apply laws, resolve disputes, and oversee due process. The concept covers a range of courts organized by jurisdiction, including civil and criminal courts, administrative courts, and specialized tribunals, as well as the higher appellate bodies that review lower-court decisions.

In Turkey, the judiciary is constitutionally independent from the legislative and executive branches. The mahkemeleri are part of the judiciary and operate under the framework of the Constitution. The main national-level courts include the Court of Cassation (Yargıtay), which handles civil and criminal appeals; the Council of State (Danıştay), which deals with administrative matters; and the Constitutional Court (Anayasa Mahkemesi), which reviews the constitutionality of laws and decrees. There are also regional and local courts that decide cases at first instance, and specialized courts that handle specific types of disputes.

Procedures in the system generally require that cases be brought to the court with jurisdiction over the matter; rulings can be appealed to higher courts within the hierarchy. Decisions produced by the mahkemeleri are binding and enforceable, and higher courts may review those decisions to ensure proper application of law and due process. The term thus encompasses the core institutions through which justice is administered in Turkey.