Today, the number of universities offering law degrees is eighteen, and more are scheduled to open in the near future. All undergraduate lectures in Turkish law faculties are in Turkish, with the exception of Galatasaray University where some courses are in French, and Bilgi and Yeditepe University where some courses are in English. Law in Turkey is a four-year undergraduate degree, and applicants are chosen according to points received in a highly competitive centralized university exam administered each year in late May or early June. Istanbul University, opened in 1880, is the oldest law faculty in Turkey. Six months of this apprenticeship are spent with a certified lawyer and the other six months are spent in the courts.
Bars are regional, but membership in one enables a lawyer to practice throughout the country.
State universities, which represent about half the total number, are for the most part without charge. Students who wish to pursue masters degrees in law must be law graduates, and only those students who have obtained a masters degree may proceed to doctoral studies. Specialized graduate programs are offered by some universities and instruction in these programs may be in English or French. To see the headlines, please reload this page.