There is no specific anti-discrimination or equal treatment legislation in Turkey. As Turkey is not a member of the European Union, Directives 2000/43 and 2000/78 have not been transposed. However, in March 2010 a preliminary draft of the Law on Combating Discrimination and Establishment of an Equality Council was sent to various universities and non-governmental organizations, in order for them to express their opinions on the draft. The draft was apparently inspired by the Directives and the European experience. Both the list of prohibited grounds and the material scope of the draft are wider than the Directives.

The material scope of the legislation is hard to determine in many cases, as provisions prohibiting discrimination are rather general and vague. Besides, there is no consistency in the legislation. For example, not all laws and regulations on education or employment explicitly prohibit discrimination. In such cases, “equality” is applied to the case as a general principle of law or a reference is being made to art. 10 of the Constitution on “Equality Before the Law.”

There is no equality body in Turkey. Victims of discrimination can to apply to human rights boards which are established in every province and districts and Human Rights Inquiry Commission of Turkish Grand National Assembly. Both the boards and the commission have the competence to inquire complaints of discrimination in employment. The Human Rights Presidency, Human Rights Boards and Human Rights Inquiry Commission of Turkish Grand National Assembly can give a decision that describes the situation as a violation or non-violation of the right to equal treatment and these decisions are not enforceable and are not legally binding.