Enforcement files are piling up in Turkey: One in every 3 people is facing enforcement proceedings

The Ministry of Justice has published its judicial statistics for 2024. The data has strikingly revealed the burden that the social repercussions of the economic crisis have placed on the justice system.

The total number of files processed in enforcement and bankruptcy offices throughout the year reached a record 32 million 703 thousand 968. When proportioned to Turkey's population, this figure indicates that almost one in every three citizens has faced enforcement proceedings.

3 MILLION FILE INCREASE IN SIX YEARS

While the total number of files in enforcement and bankruptcy offices was at the level of 29 million 727 thousand 512 in 2018, this number rose to 32.7 million by the end of 2024, an increase of approximately 3 million. The number of new files opened in 2024 was recorded as 9 million 798 thousand 757. Together with the files carried over from the previous year, the total burden has grown exponentially.

THE WEIGHT OF NON-JUDGMENT PROCEEDINGS

According to 2024 data, a significant portion of enforcement files consisted of non-judgment proceedings initiated without a court decision. 26 million 843 thousand files entered the enforcement process without any judicial ruling. In contrast, the number of judgment-based enforcement files, which rely on a court decision, was determined to be only 3 million 813 thousand. This situation revealed that the majority of debts move directly to the enforcement stage without reaching the judiciary.

New Enforcement Files Opened in the Last Seven Years:

2018: 9.3 million

2019: 9.8 million

2020: 6.7 million

2021: 8.3 million

2022: 9 million

2023: 14 million

2024: 9.7 million