A legal reform in Turkey has removed the requirement for heirs to divide inherited property equally, triggering warnings from women’s rights advocates who fear it could deepen inequality and legal uncertainty for vulnerable groups.
Under the new system, heirs can now decide how to divide inherited real estate among themselves through a written agreement. This can be done without the oversight of notaries or formal intervention from public institutions.
The change is intended to speed up inheritance proceedings and reduce family disputes.
'Circumventing the civil code'
The new rules were introduced through a directive issued by the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre, based on a 2024 amendment to the Mediation Law rather than the Civil Code, which governs inheritance regulations.
In a comment on social media, lawyer Işıl Kurnaz described this as "circumventing women's inheritence rights."
“Using mediation in family disputes, ranging from inheritance to marriage, reinforces women's unequal status," she wrote. The Constitution and the Civil Code guarantee these rights. You cannot erase them through a directive or mediation law.”
The Federation of Turkish Women’s Associations said the reform undermines gender equality.
“This so-called 'consensual sharing' approach fails to offer women, who are already under economic and social pressure, a fair negotiation environment,” the group stated on social media. “It amounts to a violation of property rights.”
Women’s rights advocate İlknur Turfanda also criticized the change on social media, saying, “We’re entering an era where the strong take what they want and the weak stay silent.
"Women, the elderly, and those living in rural areas are now at the mercy of urban male relatives. This law legalizes inequality and coercion in inheritance. It’s not convenience, it’s injustice.” (EMK/VK)
