Press freedom in Turkey: Still far worse than you think!
As we mark World Press Freedom Day on May 3, Turkey remains the worst jailer of journalists in the world.
The crackdown on press freedom...
Turkey’s top court says rights of journalists not violated
Turkey’s Constitutional Court on Thursday ruled there was no violation in the cases of journalists Ahmet Şık, Murat Sabuncu, Bülent Utku and Akın Atalay,...
Cumhuriyet journalists return to jail to serve their time
Several journalists and media staff who received prison sentences in a trial involving the Cumhuriyet newspaper arrived at the Kocaeli Courthouse on Thursday to...
Cumhuriyet journalists’ lawyers appeal upcoming jail terms
The lawyers of eight former employees of the Cumhuriyet daily have appealed to an Istanbul court for the suspension of the execution of their...
Prosecutor demands lengthy prison sentences for Sözcü journalists, owner
A Turkish prosecutor on Thursday demanded lengthy prison sentences for columnists, reporters and media workers from the Sözcü daily on charges of supporting a...
Turkey remains 157th out of 180 countries in world press freedom index
Turkey’s ranking in Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) 2018 World Press Freedom Index, released on Thursday, remained at 157th out of 180 countries as the...
Journalist sentenced to prison for press statement in 2015
Sezgin Kartal, a reporter for ABC Gazetesi and a former member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) party council, was sentenced Thursday to...
German journalist returns to İstanbul after Turkey relents on press credential
The Turkish government has renewed the press credentials of Tagesspiegel reporter Thomas Seibert after initially refusing to do so, Deutsche Welle Turkish service reported...
8 more journalists convicted in Özgür Gündem case
Eight more journalists were convicted on Wednesday of disseminating terrorist propaganda while serving as the symbolic editor-in-chief for a day of the now-closed Kurdish...
Senior editor to remain in jail despite lack of evidence
A court in İstanbul ruled on Thursday for a continuation of the pre-trial detention of Harun Çümen, the last responsible managing editor of the...
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...