Is Cathinone legal in Turkey?
- Legal status
- Controlled — cathinone (khat's natural principal alkaloid) is a 1971 Convention SCHEDULE I psychotropic and is on Turkey's controlled-narcotics list under Law No. 2313. Mechanism: 1971 Sch-I transposition, named. As the parent compound it is DISTINCT from the khat PLANT (Catha edulis, separately placed on the narcotics list in 2011) and from the synthetic cathinones (mephedrone etc., scheduled 2010-11) that derive from it; cathinone is the named controlled alkaloid, cathine the milder metabolite (1971 Schedule III). Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004 — no capital exposure.
- Consequences if caught
- Controlled narcotic: possession and supply of the alkaloid are offences under Law 2313; custodial, not capital.
- If prescribed or medical
- 1971 Schedule I substance with no accepted medical use and no lawful prescription route for the isolated alkaloid.
- Documentation
- No licit personal-import route for a controlled narcotic.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Turkey’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
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If you’re detained or arrested abroad
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