NGO reports widespread discrimination, violence targeting LGBT individuals in Turkish prisons
Incarcerated LGBT individuals in Turkey frequently face violence, isolation, slander and discrimination during their time behind bars, Deutsche Welle Turkish service reported, citing the...
European states must stand up against pushbacks, says CoE human rights commissioner
“Member states must take a stand against pushbacks at borders and clearly oppose attempts to legalise this illegal practice,” said Dunja Mijatović, the Council...
New judicial reform bill again requires women to take husband’s surname
Turkey’s legal provision allowing women to use their maiden name only in conjunction with their husband's surname, previously annulled by the Constitutional Court, has...
Turkish authorities seek to make COVID-related restrictions in prisons permanent, jailed Kurdish leader says
Turkey’s Justice Ministry is trying to capitalize on the COVID-19 pandemic in order to continue restricting the visitation rights of inmates, jailed Kurdish leader...
Cafe owned by wife of slain Kurdish lawyer targeted with stun grenades, gunfire
A cafe in Turkey’s southeastern city of Diyarbakır owned by Türkan Elçi, a member of parliament from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and widow...
Turkish authorities issue detention warrant for police officer accused of unlawful strip-search
Turkish authorities issued a detention warrant on Tuesday for female police officer Songül Eken Kılıç for conducting an unlawful strip-search of architect Mücella Yapıcı...
451 civilians in Turkey killed by police since 2007: Report
A total of 451 civilians, including children, have been killed by police from 2007 through the first half of 2024, according to a report...
Turkey’s top court yet to make decision on case of maid found dead in...
The lawyer for the family of Nadira Kadirova said the Turkish Constitutional Court has not delivered a decision despite the passage of 18 months...
Police detain people over Kurdish songs played at weddings in eastern Turkey
Turkish police raided three weddings in eastern Turkey and detained organizers, participants and production crews that were recording the events due to the Kurdish...
Ailing 84-year-old inmate complains of poor prison conditions and lack of heat in cell
An ailing 84-year-old man serving a sentence on conviction of links to the Gülen movement said his prison cell did not have proper heating...
Latest Reports
Turkey’s Transnational Repression: 2025 in Review
Turkey's campaign of transnational repression against critics abroad continued throughout 2025. Since a coup attempt in July 2016, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s long arm...
Turkey’s Crackdown on the Gülen Movement: 2025 in Review
During the year Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan continued to relentlessly pursue anyone with alleged links with the faith-based Gülen movement, which he described...
Women’s rights in Turkey: 2025 in Review
The state of women’s rights in Turkey showed no meaningful improvement in 2025, as longstanding problems persisted and new challenges emerged. Femicides, institutional failures...
Weaponized Diplomacy: How Erdoğan Uses Turkish Missions for Transnational Repression
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This report reveals how the Turkish government has transformed its embassies and consulates into instruments of repression over the past decade. Once seen...
The Forgotten Victims: Children of Turkey’s Post-Coup Purge
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This report examines how children from families targeted in Turkey’s unprecedented post-coup purge have endured the devastating consequences of persecution, social exclusion and...
Human Rights in Turkey: 2024 in Review
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This report highlights the most important developments in the area of human rights in Turkey during the year 2024.
Throughout the year Turkey continued...
Dehumanizing a Legacy: How Fethullah Gülen’s Death Triggered a Campaign of Hate Speech in...
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This report examines the surge of hate speech following the death of Fethullah Gülen, a US-based cleric whose followers have been systematically persecuted...
Family Punishment in Turkey: How Erdoğan Uses the Nazi Practice of Sippenhaft
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This report focuses on how the Turkish government, under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has used family punishment against his opponents.
Sippenhaft, also known as...