tutukluk

Tutukluk is a Turkish noun that denotes the state or condition of being detained or in custody. It is used to describe the status of a person who is held by authorities during ongoing legal proceedings, rather than a final imprisonment sentence. In common usage, tutukluk refers to the period a suspect remains under formal custody while investigations and court processes continue.

In legal context, the act of ordering detention is called tutuklama. The person who is held is described as tutuklu, and the overall condition as tutukluluk or tutukluk. The duration of detention is discussed in terms such as tutukluluk süresi (period of detention), and extensions may be granted by a judge if warranted by the case. When detention ends or is lifted, the person may be released from custody; if convicted, imprisonment is typically referred to as hapis rather than tutukluk.

The term is rooted in Turkish grammar from the verb tutuklamak (to detain or arrest) and the noun-forming suffix -luk, which signals a state or condition. While tutukluk is widely understood in Turkish, the more formal or legal term commonly used in official documents is tutukluluk, and tutuklu describes the detainee.

Usage notes: tutukluk emphasizes the custodial state during proceedings and is distinct from the outcome of a trial. It can be used in reporting, legal summaries, and everyday speech to convey that someone is under custody pending resolution of a case.

See also: custody, detention, remand, arrest, imprisonment.