European rights court poses questions to Turkish gov’t on ByLock messaging app
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) posed a series of questions to the Turkish government about the ByLock messaging app in the case...
Germany urges Turkey to release Demirtaş, Kavala as part of human rights action plan
The German Federal Foreign Office has called on the Turkish government to immediately release its political prisoners, some of whom are in jail despite...
Ankara launches investigation into sponsor of Times Square billboard that reads “STOP ERDOGAN”
A billboard in New York City’s Times Square that reads “STOP ERDOGAN,” referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose rule has seen the...
Another former teacher imprisoned over Gülen links dies of COVID-19
Önder Ateş, a former English teacher arrested for alleged links to the Gülen movement, died in prison yesterday of COVID-19, Bold Medya reported.
Ateş had...
Boğaziçi academics appeal to Turkish state council for cancellation of rector appointment
More than 70 academics from Boğaziçi University have filed a joint submission with the Council of State requesting the cancellation of Professor Melih Bulu’s...
Turkey remains ‘not free’ according to Freedom House report
Turkey remains “not free” with a score of 32/100, in the same category as Russia, China and Iran, according to “Freedom in the World...
Turkish author and journalist Ahmet Altan spends his 71st birthday in prison
One of Turkey’s most famous novelists and journalists, Ahmet Altan has spent his 71st birthday in İstanbul’s notorious Silivri Prison, where most political prisoners...
With both parents in prison for Gülen links, neighbors help care for 11-year-old cancer...
Sabriye Dağdeviren, the mother of 11-year-old leukemia patient Hakan, said her son is at times cared for by their neighbors during his treatment at...
Leaked emails show list of to-be-purged generals was drafted before Turkey’s failed coup
Turkey’s General Staff in 2015 drafted a list of generals and officers who were slated to be purged from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK)...
Erdoğan unveils human rights action plan, leading to skepticism
At a time when Turkey is the subject of harsh criticism due to gross human rights violations in the country, Turkish President Recep Tayyip...
Latest Reports
Human Rights in Turkey: 2025 in Review
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This report highlights the most important developments in the area of human rights in Turkey in 2025, a year marked by continued democratic...
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...
Human Rights in Turkey: 2023 in Review
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This report highlights the most important developments in the area of human rights in Turkey during the year 2023.
The May 2023 re-election of...
Hate speech and hate crimes against Syrian refugees in Turkey
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This report focuses on the inflammatory rhetoric and illegal acts motivated by prejudice faced by refugees who fled the civil war in Syria...