1,081,129 people were protected against false reports under the right to not be stained

Minister of Justice Tunç announced that since 2017, decisions of no investigation (SYOK) have been made for 1,081,129 individuals within the scope of the Right to Be Unblemished, aimed at protecting the presumption of innocence.
Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç stated that new regulations and practices have been implemented in the criminal justice system to protect and strengthen the presumption of innocence.
“SYOK decisions have been made for 1,081,129 files”
Minister Tunç pointed out a significant amendment regarding the Right to Be Unblemished in the Code of Criminal Procedure in 2017, ensuring that no one is confronted with unjust, baseless, and groundless accusations. Since the enforcement of this regulation on August 25, 2017, a total of 1,435,596 investigation files have been opened, and decisions of no investigation (SYOK) have been made for 1,081,129 of these files.
Minister Tunç stated, “The right to be unblemished, which is one of the most important parts of today’s human rights understanding, is a broad concept that includes innocence or, in other words, the presumption of innocence.”
With this regulation integrated into the Turkish Legal System, it is ensured that a decision of no investigation can be made if the report or complaint about a person is abstract and general in nature or if it is clearly understood that the subject does not constitute a crime. Through the SYOK decision, individuals subjected to unfounded reports and complaints do not acquire the status of a suspect, the decision is recorded in a separate system, and prevents damage to the person’s reputation within society.