Adli Sicil: Türkiye's Criminal Record Certificate

What is the adli sicil (Turkish criminal record)?

The adli sicil is the official state record of finalised criminal convictions in Türkiye. It is kept centrally by the Ministry of Justice, and it is governed by the Criminal Records Law (Law No. 5352).

The key word is finalised. In principle the adli sicil reflects court decisions that have become final — not every accusation, police stop, or open file. That distinction matters, because people often assume the record is a running log of everything that ever happened to them. An ongoing investigation, a case still on appeal, a warrant, or an international alert are separate mechanisms that live in different systems. A conviction that was never finalised, or a matter that ended without a conviction, is not the same as an entry on the adli sicil. If your worry is whether you are wanted rather than whether you have a record, that is a different question — our guide on whether you are wanted in Türkiye and our wanted records (GBT) page deal with that side.

Adli sicil vs adli sicil arşivi: what is the difference?

There are two layers. There is the adli sicil record while a conviction's consequences are still live, and there is the adli sicil arşiv (archive) record, to which an entry is moved once certain legal conditions relating to that conviction are complete.

Think of it as a two-stage system built into Law No. 5352. While the effects of a sentence are still running, the conviction sits on the main adli sicil. Once the conditions the law attaches to that conviction are satisfied, the entry is generally moved to the archive rather than shown on the ordinary certificate. The archive record is more restricted: it is not visible to everyone who might see an ordinary certificate, but it is not simply gone either, and specific authorities can still access it in defined situations. The exact conditions and the timing for moving an entry to the archive — and later for deleting the archive record itself — are set by law and depend on the offence and the sentence, so treat any specific period you read online as something to confirm rather than assume.

What appears on a Turkish criminal record certificate — and what does not?

An ordinary adli sicil certificate is meant to show finalised convictions that have not yet moved to the archive. What it is not is a full dossier of your life with the police or the courts.

In practical terms, the following are different things and should not be read off a single certificate:

• Open investigations and pending cases. A matter that is still being investigated or is not yet final is generally not an adli sicil conviction entry — an accusation is not a conviction, and a case can end without one.
• Warrants and "wanted" records. Being searched for on a police system (a GBT check at a border, for example) is not the same as a conviction on your adli sicil. You can have one without the other.
• INTERPOL notices. An international alert circulated through INTERPOL is a separate mechanism with its own rules; it is not a Turkish criminal record entry. See our INTERPOL Red Notice service page.

There is also a distinction between the ordinary certificate a private person or employer might request and a version that includes archive records, which is used for narrower official purposes. Because what a particular certificate reveals depends on which type it is and why it was requested, do not assume that "nothing on my e-Devlet printout" means "nothing anywhere." If the stakes are high, have it read properly.

How do you get your adli sicil certificate?

You can usually obtain it yourself through e-Devlet, in person at a courthouse, or through a Turkish consulate if you are abroad — and a lawyer can obtain it for you under a power of attorney. Which route is open to you depends on your status and whether you hold a Turkish ID or a foreigner identity number.

For many people the government portal e-Devlet is the fastest route, producing a document you can download. In person, courthouses (adliye) and certain public offices issue the certificate. From outside Türkiye, a Turkish consulate is the usual channel, and the requirements there — identity documents, the reason for the request, any fees — are matters of current consular practice you should confirm with the specific consulate rather than assume. If you cannot attend in person, a lawyer holding a notarised power of attorney can request records that are lawfully accessible on your behalf and, just as importantly, read them correctly. A raw certificate in a language you do not fully read is easy to misinterpret in either direction.

When does a Turkish criminal record actually matter?

A record matters most at decision points — when you ask the Turkish state to grant you something — and much less for an ordinary short visit. An adli sicil entry rarely operates like an automatic border wall for a tourist; it becomes relevant where a law or an authority is entitled to weigh your background.

The situations where it tends to count include:

• Residence permit applications. Character and public-order factors can be assessed under the foreigners framework (Law No. 6458, YUKK), and a serious record may be relevant to that assessment. If a permit has already been refused, our guide on appealing a residence permit refusal explains the route.
• Work permits and employment. Some roles and some work permit processes involve a record check, and certain regulated professions have their own requirements.
• Citizenship and long-term status. The more you are asking the state to grant, the more a background assessment can matter.

For an ordinary visit, the bigger risks usually lie elsewhere — an entry ban, a warrant, or an international alert — rather than the quiet existence of a record. We cover that border-day question separately in travelling to Türkiye with a criminal record. If your concern is an application rather than a trip, treat the record as something to understand and plan around in advance.

Can a criminal record be cleared or deleted in Türkiye?

Sometimes — but "clearing" a record is a legal process with conditions set by law, not a favour that can be requested at will. Under the Criminal Records Law (Law No. 5352), entries are moved to the archive and, in defined circumstances, deleted, according to rules that depend on the conviction and the sentence.

Two things are worth separating. First, the automatic mechanics: the law itself provides for an entry to move to the archive once the relevant conditions are met, and for archive records to be handled under their own rules over time. Second, there are legal remedies a person may pursue — for example, applying for deletion where the conditions are satisfied, or seeking restoration of certain rights affected by a conviction. Whether any of these is available to you, and on what timeline, is entirely fact-specific: it turns on the offence, the sentence, and whether the conditions the law requires are complete. Because the exact periods and thresholds are set by statute and change with the facts, this is precisely the kind of detail to confirm with a lawyer rather than lift from a general article. If a record is standing between you and a permit or a job, the useful first step is an honest read of what your record actually shows and what, if anything, the law allows to be done about it.

How can a lawyer help?

A lawyer experienced in these matters can obtain and correctly read your adli sicil under a power of attorney, tell you honestly whether an entry is on the ordinary record or the archive, and separate a genuine conviction from an open case, a warrant, or an international alert that you may be confusing with a record. Where the law allows a record to be moved to the archive or deleted, or a right to be restored, they can advise on whether the conditions are met and how to apply. Where a record touches a residence permit, a work permit, or a criminal defence question, they can explain how it is likely to weigh and what can realistically be done. We never promise an outcome; we tell you what the record shows and what the law permits.