What is a Contested Divorce Case?

Pursuant to Article 166/3 of the Turkish Civil Code, if the marriage has lasted at least one year, the marital union is considered to have fundamentally broken down if the spouses apply together or if one spouse accepts the other's lawsuit. In such a case, for a divorce decree to be issued, it is required that the judge hears the parties personally, is convinced that their will is expressed freely, and finds the arrangement accepted by the parties regarding the financial consequences of the divorce and the situation of the children appropriate. The judge may make changes deemed necessary in this agreement, taking into account the interests of the parties and the children. If these changes are also accepted by the parties, a divorce is granted.