Is Weed Legal in Turkey?

Last reviewed: August 6, 2026

Recreational cannabis is illegal in Turkey. The Turkish Penal Code (Turk Ceza Kanunu, Law No. 5237) treats cannabis as a controlled narcotic alongside heroin and cocaine, and prosecutors charge offences under Articles 188 and 191. Article 188 covers manufacture, import, export, and trafficking, with prison terms starting at 20 years and rising to aggravated life imprisonment when organised crime is involved. Article 191 covers personal use and possession, carrying two to five years imprisonment, though judges can substitute a treatment-and-probation order of at least one year for first-time users.

Cultivation of cannabis for narcotic purposes is a separate offence under Law No. 2313 on the Control of Narcotic Substances, punishable by four to twelve years in prison. Carrying drugs into schools, dormitories, hospitals, or military zones is an aggravating factor that increases sentences by half. There is no decriminalised threshold for personal quantities. The Ministry of Interior and the Turkish National Police narcotics units (KOM) handle enforcement, and convictions are routinely upheld by the Court of Cassation. Recreational legalisation remains politically off the table, but in July 2025 Parliament approved health-law amendments (published in the Official Gazette on 24 July 2025) that allow low-THC cannabis-based medicinal products — capped at 0.3% THC — to be sold in licensed pharmacies with a doctor's prescription, under Ministry of Health licensing, an electronic product-tracking system, and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry oversight of cultivation. Tourists are prosecuted under the same statutes as Turkish nationals.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Verify current law with qualified counsel before making compliance decisions.