Private Security Legislation and Accountability in Türkiye: Evaluating Regulatory Mechanisms Against Misconduct

The existence of the Law of Private Security Services of Türkiye (Law no. 5188), and even its implementation regulation, does not negate the problems associated with inefficient regulatory tools, varying levels of education, and a lack of effective control that contribute to the increasing danger of misconduct. This research considered how the law on private security services and its implementation regulation in Türkiye are used to regulate private security activities and prevent misuse of authority by the rapidly growing private security sector. The theoretical framework for the research comprised the social control theory and the rational choice theory, while the document analysis method was used for studying legislative acts, regulation documents, and scientific articles. The research findings proved that the law regards the private security service as an important additional element of public security, which operates in subordination to the state. From the standpoint of social control theory, measures like training and licensing, as well as collaboration and affiliation with state institutions, facilitate social conformity and adherence to state authority. In terms of the theory of rational choice, there are deterrent factors embedded in the law, which include operational boundaries, constraints regarding the utilisation of firearms, and administrative and criminal sanctions designed to prevent misconduct and misuse of power. Nevertheless, even though the law is theoretically well-founded, the paper demonstrated that there are some implementation problems, including the lack of an appropriate system for control, training, and enforcement. It can be stated that although the law in question is a strong basis for the regulation of the industry, accountability needs to be ensured through enhanced supervision, training, audits, and enforcement of sanctions.