Middle East and North Africa
Turkey.
The Turkish Penal Code (Law No. 5237) contains a general offense of failing to help or report a person unable to care for themselves (art. 98). Charitable associations are governed by the Law on Associations (No. 5253), which includes a public-benefit status, and public fundraising by the Law on Aid Collection (No. 2860). The Ministry of Youth and Sports runs a volunteering platform called GönüllüyüzBİZ.
Is there a legal duty to help a stranger?
YesArticle 98(1) of the Turkish Penal Code provides that a person who does not help, to the extent circumstances allow, someone unable to manage themselves because of age, illness, injury or any other reason, or who does not promptly notify the authorities, faces up to one year in prison or a judicial fine. Article 98(2) provides one to three years in prison if the person dies because help or notice was not given (this guide's translation of the Turkish text).
Are people who help protected?
None foundNo statute giving a general legal protection to people who help strangers in good faith was found in the sources reviewed. This does not mean none exists; it was not verified.
How the government promotes giving and service
Ways to give and volunteer
Giving in Turkey is strong and personal, with large networks around the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay), foundations (vakıf) and religious charity traditions. Know first that public collection of aid needs official permission.
Check a charity before you give
Turkey has no public charity register that we could verify, so the closest official body is the Ministry of Interior, which oversees associations and the permits required to collect aid from the public.
Give your time
Give money, blood or a donation
In an emergency or a crisis
Before you act
- Under Turkey's aid collection law, groups need permission before collecting money or goods from the public, and unlicensed online drives can be blocked and fined. Ask any group for its permit or registration and check the account name before sending money, especially after disasters when fake appeals spread. Foreign visitors should keep volunteer work informal and legal, and check residence and work rules first.
This list does not cover local foundations, neighborhood groups or religious charities. Checked 2026-10-28. Listing an organization is not an endorsement, and none of them has endorsed this site. Some official sites block automatic checks, so a link may need a second try.
One thing worth knowing
Turkey has a general criminal offense of failing to help or report a person unable to care for themselves, with a higher penalty if the person dies.
What this does not mean
Texts are Turkish originals translated by this guide, except Law 2860 (unofficial English translation, pre-amendment). A 2024 Constitutional Court decision annulled certain articles of Laws 5253 and 2860, and later amendments exist, so current wording should be checked on mevzuat.gov.tr. Not legal advice. This is a plain-language summary of public sources, not legal advice, and it does not rank countries. No government named here has endorsed this site. Not reviewed by a lawyer. Statutes were read in public sources and may have changed. Last checked October 26, 2026.