Theological Use of Turn

There is the controversial "turn from sin" statement which can cause certain preachers to be mistaken to be teaching works salvation.  So here's a dictionary definition for "turn":

To cause to move around an axis or center; cause to rotate or revolve.
2. To cause to move around in order to achieve a result, such as opening, closing, tightening, or loosening: turn the key; turn a screw.
3. To alter or control the functioning of (a mechanical device, for example) by the use of a rotating or similar movement: turned the iron to a hotter setting.
4. To perform or accomplish by rotating or revolving: turn a somersault.
5.
a. To change the position of so that the underside becomes the upper side: turn the steak; turn a page.
b. To spade or plow (soil) to bring the undersoil to the surface.
c. To reverse and resew the material of (a collar, for example).
6. To revolve in the mind; meditate on; ponder.
7.
a. To give a rounded form to (wood, for example) by rotating against a cutting tool.
b. To give a rounded shape to (clay, for example) by rotating and shaping with the hands or tools.
c. To give a rounded form to: turn a heel in knitting a sock.
d. To give distinctive, artistic, or graceful form to: "They know precisely how to turn a dramatic line or phrase that is guaranteed to make the evening news" (William Safire).
8.
a. To change the position of by traversing an arc of a circle; pivot: turned his chair toward the speaker.
b. To present in a specified direction by rotating or pivoting: turn one's face to the wall.
c. To cause (a scale) to move up or down so as to register weight: Even a feather will turn a delicate scale.
9.
a. To fold, bend, or twist (something).
b. To change the position or disposition of by folding, bending, or twisting: Turn the design right side up on your jacket buttons. Turn the hat inside out.
c. To make a bend or curve in: strong enough to turn a bar of steel.
d. To blunt or dull (the edge of a cutting instrument).
e. To injure by twisting: turn an ankle.
f. To upset or make nauseated: That story turns my stomach.
10. To change the direction or course of: turn the car to the left.
11.
a. To divert or deflect: turn a stampede.
b. To reverse the course of; cause to retreat: "Then turn your forces from this paltry siege/And stir them up against a mightier task" (Shakespeare).
12. To make a course around or about: turn a corner.
13. To change the purpose, intention, or content of by persuasion or influence: Her speech turned my thinking.
14. To change the order or disposition of; unsettle: "Sudden prosperity had turned [his] head" (Thomas Macaulay).
15.
a. To aim or focus: turn one's gaze to the sky; turned the camera on the speaker.
b. To devote or apply (oneself, for example) to something: She turned herself to law.
16. To cause to act or go against; make antagonistic: The scandal turned public opinion against the candidate.
17. To cause to go in a specific direction; direct: They turned their steps toward home.
18. To send, drive, or let go: turn the bully out of the bar; turned the dog loose.
19. To pour, let fall, or otherwise release (contents) from or into a receptacle: Turn the dough onto a floured board.
20. To cause to take on a specified character, nature, identity, or appearance; change or transform. Used with to or into: water that had been turned to ice; turn a rundown house into a show place.
21. To make sour; ferment: Lack of refrigeration turned the milk.
22. To affect or change the color of: Autumn turns the green leaves golden.
23. To exchange; convert. Used with to or into: turns her singing talent into extra money.
24. To keep in circulation; sell and restock: We turned a great deal of merchandise during the holidays.
25.
a. To make use of: turned the situation to our advantage.
b. To get by buying and selling: turn a fair profit.
26. To perform successfully; complete: turn a double play.
27. Slang To perform (an act of prostitution): turning tricks.
v.intr.
1. To move around an axis or center; rotate or revolve.
2. To have a sensation of revolving or whirling, especially as a result of dizziness or giddiness.
3. To change position from side to side or back and forth: I tossed and turned all night.
4. To progress through pages so as to arrive at a given place: Please turn to page 31.
5.
a. To operate a lathe.
b. To be formed on a lathe: a softwood that turns easily.
6. To direct one's way or course: The truck turned into the gas station. Turn off the highway at the next exit.
7. To change or reverse one's way, course, or direction: Too tired to go farther, we turned toward home.
8. To have a specific reaction or effect, especially when adverse.
9. To change one's actions or attitudes adversely; become hostile or antagonistic: The peasants turned against the cruel king.
10. To attack suddenly and violently with no apparent motive: The lion turned on the animal trainer.
11. To channel one's attention, interest, or thought toward or away from something: "In the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love" (Tennyson).
12. To devote or apply oneself to something, as to a field of study: Unsuccessful in math, the student turned to biology.
13. To convert to a religion.
14. To switch one's loyalty from one side or party to another.
15. To have recourse to a person or thing for help, support, or information.
16. To depend on something for success or failure; hinge: "The election would turn not on ideology but on competence" (George F. Will).
17.
a. To change so as to be; become: His hair turned gray. I am a lawyer turned novelist.
b. To change; become transformed. Used with to or into: The sky turned to pink at dawn. The night turned into day.
c. To reach and pass (a certain age, for example): My niece has turned two.
18. To become sour: The milk will turn if you don't refrigerate it.
19. To change color: The leaves have turned.
20. To be stocked and sold: This merchandise will turn easily.
21. To become dull or blunt by bending back. Used of the edge of a cutting instrument.
n.
1. The act of turning or the condition of being turned; rotation or revolution.
2. A change of direction, motion, or position: Make a left turn at the corner.
3. A place, as in a road or path, where a change in direction occurs; a curve: a sharp turn in the road.
4. A departure or deviation, as in a trend: a strange turn of events.
5. A point marking the end of one period of time and the beginning of the next: the turn of the century.
6.
a. A chance or opportunity.
b. One of a series of such opportunities accorded people in succession or in scheduled order: waiting for her next turn at bat.
7. A period of participation: a turn at wrestling.
8.
a. An attack of illness or severe nervousness.
b. Informal A momentary shock or scare: I had quite a turn when I heard the crash.
9. A characteristic mood, style, or habit; a natural inclination: an inquisitive turn of mind.
10. A propensity or adeptness: She has a turn for carpentry.
11. A distinctive, graceful, or artistic expression or arrangement of words: the poetic turn of a phrase.
12.
a. A movement or development in a particular direction: a turn for the worse.
b. A variation of a given kind or type: "His muse occasionally takes a humorous and satirical turn" (Albert C. Baugh).
13. A deed or action having a good or bad effect on another: "He thought some friend had done him an ill turn" (Stephen Crane).
14. Advantage or purpose: It served his turn.
15. A short walk or excursion out and back: took a turn in the park.
16. A distortion in shape.
17. The condition of being twisted or wound.
18.
a. A winding of one thing about another.
b. A single wind or convolution, as of wire on a spool.
19. Something that winds or turns around a center axis.
20. Music A figure or ornament, usually consisting of four or more notes in rapid succession and including the principal note, the one a degree above it, and the one a degree below it.
21. A brief theatrical act or stage appearance.
22. A transaction on the stock market involving both a sale and a purchase.
23. South Atlantic U.S. The amount that can be carried in the arms in one load: a turn of firewood.

So the reality is when one turns from sin or turns away from sin to be saved such as this video by Pastor Ray Comfort called "Are You a Good Person?":

It means in definition number six as, "To revolve in the mind; meditate on; ponder."  That is a person turns away his/her mind AWAY from sinful thoughts because it hinders him/her from receiving the Lord Jesus Christ.  As said, to turn away from sin to be saved may or should be better stated as, "One needs to revolve in their mind away from their sins and turn to Jesus for forgiveness." because it has caused many fundamental preachers like Charles Spurgeon and Harry A. Ironside to be wrongly labeled as works preachers.