Turkey removes another mayor from office following terrorism conviction
Turkey’s Interior Ministry has removed Mehmet Alkan, mayor of the Kağızman district of Kars province, from office after he was sentenced to more than...
İstanbul court convicts 19 in terrorism trial of girls over religious, social activities
A court in İstanbul has convicted 19 defendants and acquitted 19 others in a case known as the “girls’ trial,” which was based on...
Turkish court orders rearrest of celebrity manager a day after release
Less than 48 hours after her release, an İstanbul court ordered the rearrest of Ayşe Barım, a well-known manager of Turkish television stars, Turkish...
Helin Bölek, member of Turkish band Grup Yorum, dies on death fast
Helin Bölek, a member of the Turkish leftist band Grup Yorum who has been on a death fast for 288 days, died on April...
Another child succumbs to cancer without saying goodbye to his jailed father
Seven-year-old Selman Çalışkan succumbed to brain cancer on Saturday without being able to see his father, a teacher jailed on bogus terrorism charges, one...
PEN calls for immediate release of 16 journalists from pretrial detention in Diyarbakır
PEN International, a worldwide association of writers, has called on Turkish authorities to immediately release 15 journalists and one media worker held in pretrial...
DEM lawmaker slams authorities for disregarding inmates’ lack of access to proper healthcare
Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) lawmaker Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu has criticized Turkish authorities for their disregard of inadequate medical care in prisons, pointing...
Turkish court adjourns trial that could unseat main opposition leader
An Ankara court on Monday adjourned until September a trial involving alleged corruption that could upend the leadership of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s...
COMMENTARY — Erdoğan’s war budget signals Turkey set for a darker path
By Abdullah Bozkurt
The dramatic increase in the budget of the Interior Ministry, which is responsible for the main law enforcement agencies in Turkey, is...
Jailed Turkish businessman Kavala seen with wife in first prison photo in 260 days
Renowned Turkish businessman and human rights activist Osman Kavala, who has been in pre-trial detention since November 2017, is seen with his wife, Professor...
Latest Reports
Human Rights in Turkey: 2025 in Review
Download PDF
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
Download PDF
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
Download PDF
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
Download PDF
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...
Download PDF
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
Download PDF
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
Download PDF
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
Download PDF
This report focuses on the inflammatory rhetoric and illegal acts motivated by prejudice faced by refugees who fled the civil war in Syria...