Süleyman Demirel Law Review

The Purpose of the Suleyman Demirel Law Review (SDLR)
The Suleyman Demirel Law Review (SDLR) is a peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to enriching legal scholarship, promoting both theoretical and practical research, and contributing to the advancement of the legal community. The journal primarily aims to support original studies in law and to serve as a qualified platform for the exchange of knowledge and ideas among academics, researchers, students, and practitioners.
By publishing theoretical and empirical research across various fields of legal science, SDLR fosters interdisciplinary interaction and aims to enhance academic standards at both national and international levels. The journal also seeks to encourage innovative and critical approaches within legal scholarship.
SDLR adheres to a rigorous peer-review process that prioritizes academic quality and integrity. Its publication policy is based on ethical principles that promote open academic communication, support original thought, and strongly oppose academic misconduct.
In addition, SDLR aims to raise public awareness by disseminating current legal developments, innovative ideas, and scholarly debates. Legal scholars and researchers are invited to contribute their work and enrich the growing body of legal literature.
Dedicated to the pursuit of justice and academic excellence, the Suleyman Demirel Law Review continues to uphold the value of knowledge-sharing in the service of a more equitable world.

Scope of the Suleyman Demirel Law Review (SDLR)
The Suleyman Demirel Law Review (SDLR) is a peer-reviewed academic journal that covers a broad spectrum of topics within the field of legal studies. The journal’s scope includes high-quality academic work, critical analyses, and practice-oriented research across various branches of law.
SDLR welcomes contributions in all areas of law, including but not limited to constitutional law, administrative law, criminal law, civil law, commercial law, labor and social security law, international law, and human rights law. In addition, interdisciplinary research intersecting with law and studies in emerging legal fields also fall within the journal’s scope.
The journal encourages both theoretical and empirical research and publishes articles that provide original and innovative contributions to the development of legal thought. Comparative legal studies, legal reform proposals, research on legal methodology, and critical assessments of legal issues are among the areas of interest.
Manuscripts submitted to SDLR undergo a rigorous peer-review process, enabling researchers and practitioners to share their insights and findings with a broader academic and professional community. In this context, SDLR invites scholars, researchers, and legal professionals at both national and international levels to submit their valuable work.
By reflecting the diversity and depth of legal analysis, the Suleyman Demirel Law Review aims to contribute to academic dialogue and to support the advancement and dissemination of legal knowledge.

Submission Guidelines of the Suleyman Demirel Law Review (SDLR)
1. Subject Matter:
Manuscripts submitted to SDLR must pertain to the fields of public law or private law, or be closely related to legal doctrine. Submitted work must not have been previously published or submitted for publication elsewhere.
2. Title Formatting:
The main title of the manuscript should be centered on the first page, in bold, with only the first letter of each word capitalized. In both Turkish and English titles, conjunctions must be written in lowercase. All subsequent headings should follow the structure below, written in bold and centered, with only the first letters of each word capitalized:
• Level 1: Roman numerals (I, II, III…)
• Level 2: Uppercase letters (A, B, C…)
• Level 3: Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3…)
• Level 4: Lowercase letters (a, b, c…)
• Level 5: Lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii…)
• Level 6: Double lowercase letters (aa, bb, cc…)
3. Author Information:
On the first page, immediately below the title, only the author’s full name should appear. An asterisk (*) should be placed next to the surname and used for a footnote indicating the author’s academic title, current university affiliation, faculty and department, city/country, institutional email address, and ORCID number.
4. Abstract and Keywords:
Each manuscript must include a concise “Öz” in Turkish and an “Abstract” in English (maximum 250 words including keywords), clearly summarizing the subject of the paper. The abstract should not include references, figure or table numbers, or footnotes. Manuscripts must contain an introduction and a conclusion. Between the Turkish “Öz” and the English “Abstract”, the English title of the article must be inserted. Additionally, 3 to 5 keywords (or keyword phrases) must be provided in both languages.
5. Extended Summary:
For manuscripts written in Turkish or German, an extended summary in English (between 800 and 1000 words) must be included to ensure international accessibility. This summary should provide a comprehensive outline of the content and arguments. Manuscripts (excluding bibliography and footnotes) must not exceed 20,000 words. Submissions exceeding this limit will be returned without review.
6. Formatting Requirements:
Manuscripts should be formatted on A4 paper, using Times New Roman, 12-point font size, 1.5 line spacing. Footnotes must be in 10-point font with single spacing. Margins should be 3 cm on all sides, and pages must be numbered. Paragraphs should be indented using the TAB key, with spacing between paragraphs.
7. Citation Style:
All citations must follow the OSCOLA (Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities) style. Submissions not conforming to OSCOLA will be returned for revision without being assigned to reviewers. See: OSCOLA Guide
8. Plagiarism Policy:
Before peer review, all submissions are screened for plagiarism and similarity via the iThenticate software by the editorial team. Manuscripts with a similarity rate above 20% (excluding citations and bibliography) or containing ethical violations will be rejected without peer review.
9. Removing Personal Information from Files:
As Microsoft Word documents may contain personal information in file properties, authors must ensure these are removed before submission. This can be done by following the path:
File > Save As > Tools (or Options on Mac) > Security > Remove personal information from file properties on save > Save.
Alternatively, authors may follow the step-by-step guide available at: https://bit.ly/3SEHhIL
10. Footnotes and References:
All sources must be cited in footnotes at the bottom of each page. Citations must strictly follow SDLR’s referencing and citation format.
RULES TO BE FOLLOWED FOR CITATIONS, FOOTNOTES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
General Guidelines
1. The text should not include a table of contents or a list of abbreviations. If a term or title is to be abbreviated, it should first be written in full with its abbreviation provided in parentheses. Abbreviations such as vol, ed, and in should not be followed by a period.
2. When citing multiple sources in a single footnote, separate each with a semicolon.
3. Abbreviations such as supra, infra, ante, id, loc. cit., op. cit., and contra should not be used. However, the abbreviation ibid may be used for successive references, as shown below.
________________________________________
OSCOLA Citation Style Examples
Books
In footnotes, the author’s name should appear exactly as it does in the cited work. Write the first name followed by the surname, followed by a comma, then the title in italics. Indicating the place of publication is not necessary. The edition number must be indicated unless referring to the first edition. Do not use abbreviations like s., ss., p., or pp. to refer to pages. To cite a paragraph, use the abbreviation para.
Use vd or ff to refer to a range of consecutive pages.
For books with two authors, use "ve" between names. In foreign sources, "and" may be used. For books with more than two authors, place "ve" before the final author, and separate the other names with commas.
Examples
Yüksel Metin, Anayasal Değişim (Beta 2014) 98.
Kemal Gözler, Anayasa Hukukunun Genel Teorisi, vol 1 (2nd edn, Ekin 2020) 89–100.
Osman Korkut Kanadoğlu ve Ahmet Mert Duygun, Anayasa Hukukunun Genel Esasları (2nd edn, On İki Levha 2021) 100 ff.
Julian V Roberts and Mike Hough, Public Opinion and the Jury: An International Literature Review (Ministry of Justice Research Series 1/09, 2009) 42.
Edited Books
If there is no author, cite the editor or translator.
Examples
Jeremy Horder (ed), Oxford Essays in Jurisprudence: Fourth Series (OUP 2000)
Peter Birks and Grant McLeod (trs), The Institutes of Justinian (Duckworth 1987)
To cite a chapter in an edited volume:
Author’s Name, ‘Chapter Title’ in Editor(s) Name (ed / eds), Book Title (Publisher Year) Page.
Example
Justine Pila, ‘The Value of Authorship in the Digital Environment’ in William H Dutton and Paul W Jeffreys (eds), World Wide Research: Reshaping the Sciences and Humanities in the Century of Information (3rd edn, MIT Press 2010)
Translations
When both author and editor or translator are indicated, cite as follows. Use “çev” for translated by in Turkish texts.
Examples
HLA Hart, Punishment and Responsibility: Essays in the Philosophy of Law (John Gardner ed, 2nd edn, OUP 2008)
K Zweigert and H Kötz, An Introduction to Comparative Law (Tony Weir tr, 3rd edn, OUP 1998)
Journal Articles
Author’s Name, ‘Article Title’ (Year) Volume (Issue) Journal Title First Page, Cited Page.
Examples
Yüksel Metin, ‘Temel Hakların Sınırlandırılması ve Ölçülülük: Ölçülülük İlkesi Evrensel Bir Anayasal İlke midir?’ (2017) 7(1) SDLR 1, 50.
Sevin Toluner, ‘Kıbrıs’ın Avrupa Birliği’ne Üyelik Başvurusunun Hukuki Geçerliliği ve Sonuçları’ (2002) 22(2) MHB (Festschrift for Prof Dr Ergin Nomer) 857, 860.
Legal Sources
Turkish Legislation
Name of Law, Law No: XXXX, Date of Adoption: DD.MM.YYYY, OG DD.MM.YYYY/Issue No.
Example
Türk Medeni Kanunu, Law No: 4721, Date of Adoption: 22.11.2001, OG 08.12.2001/24607.
Citations to foreign or EU legislation should follow OSCOLA guidelines, particularly sections 2.4, 2.5, 2.6.1, and 2.8.2.
Electronic Resources
If the text is in Turkish:
Author’s Name, ‘Title’ (Year) Volume (Issue) Journal or Event Title Accessed DD Month YYYY.
Example
Yüksel Metin and Egemen Esen, ‘İnsan Hakları İnceleme Komisyonu'nun Etkililiğinin Arttırılmasına Dair Öneriler’ (2023) İnsan Haklarının Korunmasında Yasama Organının Rolü Bildiriler Kitabı https://www.tihek.gov.tr/... Accessed 27 December 2023.
If the article is in a foreign language:
Author’s Name, ‘Title’ (Year) Volume(Issue) Journal Title Date of Access DD Month YYYY.
Example
Graham Greenleaf, ‘The Global Development of Free Access to Legal Information’ (2010) 1(1) EJLT http://ejlt.org//article/view/17 Accessed 27 July 2010.
Multiple Works by the Same Author
When citing multiple works by the same author, subsequent citations may refer to the first full citation using “(n x)”:
Example
3 Metin, Anayasal Değişim (Beta 2014) 90.
9 Metin, ‘Ölçülülük İlkesi’ (2017) 7(1) SDLR 1, 50.
15 Metin, Anayasal Değişim (n 3) 90.
23 Metin, ‘Ölçülülük İlkesi’ (n 9) 50.
Repeated Citations
If the same source is cited multiple times in succession:
1 Robert Stevens, Torts and Rights (OUP 2007)
...
26 Stevens (n 1) 110.
27 ibid 271–78.
30 Stevens (n 1) 120.
Use of “ibid” is optional, but consistency must be maintained throughout the work.
Unpublished Theses
Author’s Name, ‘Thesis Title’ (Type of Thesis, University Name Year)
Case Law
Court decisions must be cited as shown. Do not use full stops in abbreviations.
Examples
Ankara 3 Sulh Mahkemesi, 4558/3543, 11.03.2017.
Danıştay 10 D, 2247/5111, 25.11.2011.
Yargıtay 2 HD, 4558/3543, 11.03.2017.
Anayasa Mahkemesi, E 2019/1111 K 2021/1111, 01.01.2021.
For foreign courts and the ECtHR, follow OSCOLA 2.1–2.3.
Examples
Omojudi v UK (2009) 51 EHRR 10.
Osman v UK ECHR 1998–VIII 3124.
Balogh v Hungary App no 47940/99 (ECHR, 20 July 2004).
Simpson v UK (1989) 64 DR 188.
________________________________________
Bibliography
• List entries alphabetically by the author’s surname, followed by the first initial (no period).
• No punctuation is used at the end of each entry.
• If multiple works by the same author are listed, start with the earliest publication.
• In such cases, the author's name is written out only once, with two em dashes “— —” used for subsequent works.
• Joint works are listed alphabetically by the first author’s surname.
• For repeated co-authorships, group those entries; for different co-authors, list all names in full.
Example
Hart HLA, Law, Liberty and Morality (OUP 1963)
— — ‘Varieties of Responsibility’ (1967) 83 LQR 346
— — Punishment and Responsibility (OUP 1968)
— — and Honoré AM, ‘Causation in the Law’ (195...)

SÜLEYMAN DEMİREL LAW REVIEW ETHICAL GUIDELINES AND PUBLISHING POLICY
PUBLISHING ETHICS
1. National and International Principles
Süleyman Demirel Law Review adheres to national and international publishing ethics standards. In this regard, it adopts the Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Regulation issued by the Higher Education Council of Turkey (https://www.yok.gov.tr/Sayfalar/Kurumsal/mevzuat/bilimsel-arastirma-ve-etik-yonetmeligi.aspx), the COPE Core Practices prepared by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (https://publicationethics.org/core-practices), and the COPE Publication Ethics Guidelines (https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Guidelines). The review also aligns with the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (POT) developed through collaboration with COPE, the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) (https://doi.org/10.24318/cope.2019.1.12).
To detect any instances of plagiarism, Süleyman Demirel Law Review uses the iThenticate software to check submitted articles. Any article exceeding a 20% similarity rate (excluding references) or found to involve any ethical violations is rejected without being sent for peer review. Articles are assessed by at least two reviewers from both domestic and international sources. A double-blind peer review process is followed during this evaluation. Authors are responsible for making revisions as recommended by the reviewers.
2. Authors’ Responsibilities
Articles submitted to Süleyman Demirel Law Review must be aligned with the journal's objectives and scope, as well as its formatting guidelines. The author is responsible for ensuring that the article complies with scientific and ethical standards. Plagiarism, falsification, misrepresentation, duplicate publication, slicing, unjust authorship, and failure to acknowledge individuals, institutions, or organizations providing support are considered violations of ethical principles and the publishing policy.
By submitting an article for publication, the author affirms that the work is original, has not been previously published elsewhere, and is not under evaluation for publication in another journal or language.
All sources referenced in the article must be cited according to the journal’s citation guidelines. Materials subject to copyright (e.g., tables, figures, and large quotes) must be used with proper permissions and acknowledgements.
Translated works may only be published with the written permission of the original author or the copyright holder. The permission statement, including the person or institution granting the permission, must be indicated with an asterisk (*) in the first footnote.
In the case of multiple authors, each author must have contributed significantly to the article. All authors are accountable for the content of the article.
Individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship but have contributed to the article may be acknowledged in the "Acknowledgements" section with an asterisk (*) in the article’s title.
The order of authorship must be agreed upon collectively by the authors. After the review process has begun, changes to authorship (e.g., adding, removing, or altering the order of authors) cannot be proposed.
The author must disclose any financial relationships, conflicts of interest, and competing interests that could influence the research outcomes or scientific assessment.
If an author identifies a significant error or inaccuracy in their published article, they are responsible for contacting the editor to correct or retract the article.
The authors must provide accurate and complete information, including their full names, ORCID, affiliated institution, country, city, and email address.
3. Reviewers’ Responsibilities
Reviewers must have the necessary expertise to evaluate the submitted article.
Reviewers should assess articles impartially and objectively.
If a reviewer feels they are not sufficiently qualified to review the article, cannot make an impartial and objective evaluation, or are unable to provide timely feedback, they must inform the editor and request to withdraw from the review process.
Reviewers must not have conflicts of interest with the research, authors, or financial supporters of the research. If any conflict of interest is identified, it should be reported to the editor.
If any ethical violations related to the research or publication are detected in the submitted article, this should be reported to the editor.
Articles under review must not be shared or discussed with third parties. All information regarding the article should be kept confidential.
The Reviewer Evaluation Form should be filled out truthfully and contain scientific assessment. Feedback should be polite, constructive, and objective.
4. Editors’ Responsibilities
General Responsibilities: The editor is responsible for gathering feedback from authors, readers, reviewers, and the editorial board to improve the journal and prevent scientific misconduct.
Relations with Authors: The editor must provide authors with guidelines regarding article submission, the journal’s expectations, formatting requirements, ethical principles, and other important considerations.
In the case of suspected ethical violations, the editor will follow the COPE Flowcharts to manage the process.
Relations with Reviewers: The editor must provide the most up-to-date version of the journal’s guidelines to reviewers.
Reviewers must be asked to declare any potential conflicts of interest before evaluating a manuscript.
The editor should recognize and appreciate the contributions of reviewers.
The performance of reviewers should be tracked and a database maintained.
Reviewers who consistently exhibit rudeness, low performance, or delay in providing feedback should be removed from the journal's database.
(https://publicationethics.org/files/u2/Best_Practice.pdf)
5. General Principles for Ethical Violations
To prevent ethical violations, articles submitted for publication undergo a double-blind peer review process. The article must be approved by both reviewers for publication. If one reviewer rejects the article but the other reviewer recommends publication, the final evaluation is made by a third reviewer. If the third reviewer also rejects the article, the decision to reject the article is communicated to the author.
Articles submitted to the journal are checked by the editor or assistant editor using the iThenticate software to detect any similarity with other works. The similarity rate must be below 20%, excluding bibliographic materials (references, quotations, etc.). Articles exceeding this threshold are rejected without being sent for review.
If an ethical violation or misconduct is detected before an article is published, the Editorial Board may decide to return the article and not publish it.
If an ethical violation or misconduct is discovered after the article is published, the article will be retracted. In such cases, the COPE Guidelines will be followed.
(https://publicationethics.org/sites/default/files/Full_set_of_flowcharts_Turkey_2017%20%281%29.pdf)
PUBLISHING POLICY
1. About the Journal
Suleyman Demirel Law Review (SDLR) has been published by the Faculty of Law at Suleyman Demirel University since 2011. Since 2017, the journal has been classified as a "Peer-Reviewed Journal" indexed by ULAKBIM and is an open-access journal published biannually in June and December. Every article accepted for publication is assigned a DOI number. The language of the articles to be published in the journal may be Turkish, English, or German.
Articles submitted for publication in the journal must meet the highest academic standards and contribute to the field of legal education.
Articles submitted to the journal must not have been previously published elsewhere or be under consideration for publication in any other venue.
The article submission process for the journal is managed via the DergiPark system, which is always open for article submissions. Authors can transparently follow the publication process through the DergiPark system.
2. Copyright and Licensing
By submitting their articles to the journal, authors agree that their articles will be published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. This license allows for the sharing, copying, and redistribution of the article in any medium or format, and for adaptation and transformation of the work, including for commercial purposes, as long as proper attribution is provided to the original work.
3. Open Access Statement
The journal is open-access, and all content is freely available to readers. The journal adopts the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) Declaration, which defines open access as “a way to make scientific literature available to the public without financial, legal, or technical barriers, allowing it to be accessible, readable, downloadable, copyable, printable, searchable, linkable to full texts, indexed, transferable into software data, and usable for all legal purposes.” Regarding copyright, authors should have control over their work’s integrity, recognition, and citation rights.
4. Privacy Statement
All data shared by authors during the publication process (such as names, contact information, and addresses) is used solely for academic purposes and is not shared with third parties. Information about submitted articles will remain confidential until the article is published.
5. Archiving Policy
Published articles are archived through the LOCKSS system provided by DergiPark.
Authors may self-archive the article or parts of it in their personal archives (e.g., their own websites) as long as the journal's URL is included.
6. Fees, Sponsorship, and Advertisements
No fees are charged to authors for the evaluation of their articles at any stage of the publication process.
The journal does not accept any sponsorship or advertisement offers.

In SDLR no fees are charged for the author at any stage (submission, evaluation, and publication of articles) for publication procedures.