Ministry of Interior Turkey: Duties, Structure, Security Forces & Contact (2025)

The Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Turkey (T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı) is the authority responsible for maintaining public order, internal security, social peace and civil status throughout the country.

The Ministry works to realize the vision of a “Safe Turkey”, coordinating all security and civil institutions under its authority – including the Turkish National Police (Emniyet Genel Müdürlüğü), the Gendarmerie General Command (Jandarma Genel Komutanlığı), the Coast Guard Command (Sahil Güvenlik Komutanlığı) and other affiliated bodies.

An overview of the Ministry of Interior Turkey

The Turkish Ministry of Interior is one of the key institutions of the Turkish state. It is responsible for internal security, the protection of public order and peace, law enforcement coordination, and many core administrative services such as population and civil registry.

The Ministry was established in its current form in 1920, during the final years of the Ottoman Empire and the foundation of the Republic, and has continued to carry out its duties from that date to the present day.

The official emblem of the Turkish Ministry of Interior consists of a red circular form (the same “flag red” used in the Turkish flag), a map of Turkey inside the circle with the Turkish flag, the silhouette of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk above the map, and 16 stars surrounding the composition.

The 16 stars placed around the Republic of Turkey represent the 16 Great Turkish Empires throughout history, symbolizing continuity of state tradition.

Security forces and personnel under the Ministry

Several major security and public safety institutions are affiliated with the Ministry of Interior. Among the most important are:

• Emniyet Genel Müdürlüğü (EGM) – Turkish National Police
• Jandarma Genel Komutanlığı – Gendarmerie General Command
• Sahil Güvenlik Komutanlığı – Coast Guard Command
• Güvenlik Korucuları – Village (security) guards

According to official data dated 31 October 2025, these forces have the following personnel numbers:

• Turkish National Police (Emniyet Genel Müdürlüğü): 352,859 personnel
• Gendarmerie General Command (Jandarma Genel Komutanlığı): 216,387 personnel
• Coast Guard Command (Sahil Güvenlik Komutanlığı): 10,028 personnel
• Security (village) guards (Güvenlik Korucuları): 48,365 personnel

These institutions work together under the coordination of the Ministry to prevent crime, fight terrorism, protect borders and coasts, ensure public safety on roads and in cities, and respond to emergencies and disasters.

History of the Turkish Ministry of Interior

The roots of the Turkish Ministry of Interior reach back to the Ottoman era. In the 17th century, the Grand Vizier created an Internal Affairs Office to deal with internal order and administration.

At the beginning of its history, the ministry was called the “Mülkiye Nezareti” (Ministry of Civil Affairs) and later evolved into an interior department. In 1859, the ministry was reorganized on new foundations to better meet the administrative needs of the empire.

The structure of the Ministry was again reformed in 1913, laying the groundwork for the modern administrative model that has largely continued since then.

In the Republican period, the central and provincial branches of the Ministry were adjusted whenever necessary to respond to changing security needs, migration movements, urbanization and technological developments. The Ministry reached a modern organizational structure through regulations implemented in the 1980s and has since continued to evolve under the Presidential Government System.

The administrative structure of the Ministry of Interior in Turkey

The Ministry of Interior in Turkey is headed by the Minister of Interior, who is appointed by the President of the Republic.

As of 2025, the Minister of Interior is Ali Yerlikaya, who has held this position since 4 June 2023. Senior appointments can change, so it is always advisable to verify the current minister on the official website of the Ministry.

The Minister is assisted in administrative tasks by four deputy ministers. As of 2025, these are Bülent Turan, Mehmet Aktaş, Mehmet Sağlam and Münir Karaloğlu. Each deputy minister oversees specific areas related to security, public order, provincial administration, migration and disaster management.

The Minister of Interior is directly linked to the provincial and district administrations (governorships and sub-governorships) in each Turkish province. The Minister also works closely with units such as the Chief of Cabinet, the Secretary-General, the Civil Inspection Board, the Press and Public Relations Office, ministerial advisors and other central service units.

Central service units

The central organization of the Ministry includes various general directorates and departments, among them:

• General Directorate of Provincial Administration (İller İdaresi Genel Müdürlüğü)
• General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs (Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü)
• General Directorate of Personnel (Personel Genel Müdürlüğü)
• General Directorate of Information Technologies (Bilgi Teknolojileri Genel Müdürlüğü)
• General Directorate of Law Services (Hukuk Hizmetleri Genel Müdürlüğü)
• EU and Foreign Relations Department (AB ve Dış İlişkiler Dairesi Başkanlığı)

Through these units, the Ministry manages issues such as ID cards, passports, civil registry, citizenship procedures, local administrations, internal migration and coordination with international partners.

Affiliated institutions and agencies

In addition to the Turkish National Police, Gendarmerie and Coast Guard, several important institutions operate under or in coordination with the Ministry, including:

• Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı (Presidency of Migration Management), responsible for migration, residence permits and international protection procedures.
• AFAD (Afet ve Acil Durum Yönetimi Başkanlığı – Disaster and Emergency Management Authority), responsible for disaster preparedness, response and coordination.

For readers interested in how the Ministry fits into Turkey’s constitutional framework, you can read more in our detailed article on the Turkish Constitution. If you would like to explore the evolution of one of its key security forces, you can also see the History of the Turkish Gendarmerie.

The tasks of the Ministry of the Interior in Turkey

The tasks of the Turkish Ministry of Interior, according to the Constitution and the laws – especially Presidential Decree No. 1 – can be summarized as follows:

• Managing the internal security organizations under the Ministry to ensure the country’s internal security and public order.
• Protecting public order, general morality and the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.
• Preserving the unity and integrity of the state and nation, and ensuring the security of borders, coasts and territorial waters in coordination with other competent authorities.
• Ensuring and supervising traffic order and safety on national roads and in urban areas.
• Preventing the commission of crimes, pursuing and apprehending offenders in cooperation with judicial authorities.
• Combating all forms of smuggling and organized crime within the country.
• Fighting terrorism inside Turkey’s borders and supporting international cooperation against terrorism.
• Regulating and managing civil registry, citizenship and nationality affairs, as well as associations and foundations (civil society organizations).
• Administering and supervising the National Gendarmerie and coordinating with the Coast Guard and other security units.
• Coordinating relief, search and rescue efforts, and disaster and emergency management through AFAD and other relevant bodies.

Beyond security, the Ministry also plays a key role in local governance, supervising provincial administrations and municipalities, and supporting coordination between central government and local authorities.

Communication with the Turkish Ministry of Interior

You can contact the Ministry of Interior of Turkey at the following address:

T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı
Bakanlıklar / ANKARA
Türkiye

Central switchboard telephone number:

(0312) 422 40 00

Emergency and information hotlines

• 112 Emergency Call Center (112 Acil Çağrı Merkezi): The unified emergency number in Turkey for police, gendarmerie, ambulance, fire brigade and other emergency services. It operates 24/7.
• YİMER 157 (Yabancılar İletişim Merkezi): A call center under the Presidency of Migration Management (Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı) that provides information services to foreigners regarding visas, residence permits and international protection procedures.

For institutional contact information, e-mail addresses and provincial contact details, you can visit the official website of the Ministry (in Turkish): www.icisleri.gov.tr.

If you are interested in the life and role of the founding leader whose silhouette appears in the Ministry’s emblem, you can read more about the early life of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

You can submit a report directly to the Turkish National Police (Emniyet Genel Müdürlüğü) by clicking here.