SCF’s submission for the United Nations Universal Periodic Review of Turkey
TURKEY
Stakeholder Report for the United Nations Universal Periodic Review
Submitted by the Stockholm Center for Freedom
for the 35rd Session of the Working Group
on the Universal...
Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals refuses to uphold verdict of Cumhuriyet staff
A criminal department of Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals has refused to uphold prison sentences handed down to several journalists and media staff in...
Senior economy editor sentenced to seven-and-a-half years over terror links
The İstanbul 32nd High Criminal Court on Thursday sentenced journalist Harun Çümen to seven-and-a-half years in prison on charges of membership in the Gülen...
46 purge victims have died by suicide in post-coup crackdown: report
Forty-six victims of Turkey’s massive post-coup purge of state institutions have committed suicide, according to a report drafted by an opposition deputy on the...
15-year-old girl released pending trial after 12-day detention
A 15-year-old Kurdish girl who was taken into police custody along with other family members was released 12 days later, Turkish media reported on...
Veteran journalist sentenced to 6 years, 10 months in prison
The İstanbul 35th High Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced veteran journalist Mehmet Gündem to six years, 10 months, 15 days on charges of membership...
Presidency seeks to strip opposition leader and 9 deputies of immunity
A presidential summary of proceedings seeking the removal of the parliamentary immunity of Turkey’s main opposition leader and nine opposition deputies has made its...
Pro-gov’t think tank profiles foreign media workers in Turkey
Turkey’s Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), a pro- government think tank, on Saturday published a 200-page report on journalists who work...
Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals declines to uphold aggravated life imprisonment of journalists
The 16th Criminal Department of Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals has declined to uphold the aggravated life sentences handed down by a lower court...
Jailed religious leader’s daughters face prosecution for marching to support him
Two daughters aged 15 and 16 of jailed anti-government Islamist leader Alpaslan Kuytul have been summoned by an Adana court over their participation in...
Latest Reports
Torture, Ill-treatment and Prison Conditions in Turkey: 2025 in Review
Turkey's record on torture and ill-treatment continued to deteriorate in 2025, despite its commitments under international human rights conventions.
Throughout the year human rights organizations...
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...