Turkey plunges to 163rd in RSF press freedom index amid deepening authoritarianism
Turkey fell to 163rd out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Thursday, down from 159th in 2025,...
Turkish prosecutors seek 3 years in prison for pop star over ‘obscene’ song lyrics
Turkish prosecutors are seeking up to three years in prison for prominent pop singer Mabel Matiz over the lyrics in one of his songs,...
Turkey’s peace initiative with Kurdish militants has been ‘frozen,’ senior PKK figure says
Turkey’s new peace initiative with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has been “frozen,” a senior PKK figure said on Thursday, warning that the...
29 detained in probes linked to Antalya municipality in continuing crackdown on main opposition
Authorities detained 29 people on Wednesday after issuing detention warrants for 37 suspects in two separate investigations involving the Antalya municipality in southern Turkey,...
Rights groups call for release of critically ill Kurdish prisoner
Five human rights organizations have called for the immediate release of critically ill Kurdish prisoner Enver Yanık, saying prison authorities obstructed his access to...
Turkey’s top court delays ruling again in case of Kurdish man jailed at 14...
Turkey's Constitutional Court has for a second time postponed a ruling on a yearslong fair trial complaint filed on behalf of Mazlum İçli, who...
Young lawyer shot dead in Bursa, prompting warnings over safety of lawyers
A 26-year-old lawyer was shot dead in Bursa on Tuesday by a man reportedly subject to enforcement proceedings she had initiated on behalf of...
ECtHR found violations of freedom of expression by Turkey in 432 rulings since 2002
Turkey violated the right to freedom of expression 432 times between 2002 and 2025, according to rulings by the European Court of Human Rights...
PACE urges Turkey to rejoin Istanbul Convention, cites ongoing violence against women
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has urged Turkey to rejoin the Istanbul Convention, warning that women and girls are being...
Pro-gov’t Cengiz Holding seeks to restart gold production at mine where 9 workers died
Cengiz Holding, a major Turkish conglomerate with close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has applied to restart gold production at the Çöpler mine...
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...