Prison denies inmate his own book for being ‘motivational’
A prison administration in northwest Turkey has refused to deliver inmate Mehmet Alçınkaya a copy of his autobiography on the grounds that the book’s...
CoE calls on Turkey to amend criminal and anti-terrorism laws, release political prisoners
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE), which monitors the enforcement of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR),...
EU asylum reform tightens criteria for Turkish nationals
The European Parliament has adopted a comprehensive pact to reform migration and asylum policies, which includes tough measures that could affect Turkish nationals in...
Jailed leftist music band member’s arm broken due to mistreatment
Prison guards in western Turkey allegedly broke the arm of Bahar Kurt, a jailed member of the leftist Grup Yorum music band, the Bianet...
Police fired plastic bullets during post-election protests in Kurdish city: report
The Van Bar Association, the Human Rights Association (İHD) and the Association for the Freedom of Lawyers (ÖHD) have prepared a joint report on...
Turkish intelligence service draws ire with children’s competition on ‘secret agents’
Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) has sparked outrage by inviting children between the ages of 5 and 14 to take part in a competition...
ECtHR faults Turkey for violating rights of top court member dismissed in 2016
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled that Turkey violated the rights of a member of the Council of State who was removed from...
ECtHR prioritizes second case on continuing, new violations of Kavala’s rights
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has granted priority status to a second case lodged by businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala, who has...
University student jailed on Gülen links sent back to prison with unhealed surgery incisions
Ersel Furkan Güven, a university student who was jailed due to his alleged links to the faith-based Gülen movement, was sent back to prison...
More than 6,000 people appeared in court in 2023 for insulting Erdoğan, his government
A total of 6,879 people appeared in Turkish courts in 2023 on allegations of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan or his Justice and Development...
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...