Arıklı Urges Traffic Police to Show Restraint After ₺51,000 Fine: “A Little Mercy”

Responding to growing public reaction over the recent increase in traffic fines, Arıklı stressed that the law, which was unanimously passed by parliament and linked traffic penalties to the minimum wage, was not intended to introduce new offences. Rather, he said, its purpose was to update existing fines that had become ineffective due to being set too low.

“As is well known, the law increasing traffic fines and linking them to the minimum wage was passed unanimously by parliament. This law did not create new types of penalties. It aimed to update fines that already existed in the legislation but had lost their deterrent effect because they were too low,” Arıklı said.

However, he acknowledged serious problems in implementation, noting that the ministry had received numerous complaints and reports regarding certain fines issued by the police. In particular, he said there was widespread concern that penalties for offences such as using a mobile phone while driving were being imposed without concrete evidence, based solely on observation or third-party reports.

Arıklı also announced that legislative work was ongoing to introduce a graduated system for traffic fines, adding that penalties—both in terms of demerit points and monetary amounts—for certain offences would be reduced. He said the draft bill was expected to be finalised by the Council of Ministers in the coming days and then swiftly submitted to parliament.

Highlighting a striking example, Arıklı criticised the imposition of a ₺51,000 fine on a driver following a report that the individual had been holding or using a mobile phone while driving in an urban area. He said such a penalty was incompatible with fairness and common sense.

“For example, issuing a ₺51,000 fine to a driver in the city not even for speaking on the phone, but merely because it was reported that they were holding a phone and/or talking on it, is not compatible with fairness. Please, a little more mercy,” he said.