Suçlu

Suçlu is a Turkish word that functions as both an adjective and a noun. As an adjective, it means guilty or responsible for a wrongdoing, as in “suçlu davranış” (a guilty act). As a noun, it refers to a person who has committed a crime or who is deemed to be the offender, often translated as “the guilty” or “the culprit.” The term derives from suç (crime) with the suffix -lu, which denotes possession or association, and is related to the concept of guilt or culpability (suçluluk).

In Turkish criminal law, the status of guilt is not determined by using the label “suçlu” alone. Guilt is established through a court decision. The formal terms used in proceedings are sanık (the accused) and, after a verdict, mahkum (the convict). The legal framework emphasizes the presumption of innocence, meaning a person is not considered guilty until proven so by the judiciary, and linguistic use of “suçlu” may be avoided in official contexts before a final judgment.

In everyday language, however, suçlu is common for describing the responsible party in a crime or wrongdoing, or for identifying a culprit in non-legal contexts. It can carry a strong emotional or moral connotation and is widely understood across Turkish-speaking communities.

See also: crime, guilt, culpability, sanık, mahkum.