Turkish gov’t detains yet another pro-Kurdish journalist
The Turkish government has detained pro-Kurdish journalist Çağdaş Kaplan, editor-in-chief of the Yeni Yaşam newspaper, in İstanbul, according to a report by the Mezopotamya...
US wants Turkey’s so-called audio recording proving Khashoggi’s torture and murder
CIA Director Gina Haspel, in Turkey to investigate the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, has sought to hear a purported audio recording of...
Turkish gov’t prosecutes 182 people over social media posts in a week
The Turkish government has investigated 227 social media accounts and taken legal action against 182 users over the last week (Nov. 5-Nov. 12) on accusations...
Turkish court rules to keep journalist Baransu in prison
A Turkish court on Monday ruled for a continuation of the imprisonment of journalist Mehmet Baransu, a former correspondent for the now-defunct Taraf newspaper,...
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...
Turkey’s top appeals court overturns sentences of 7 Cumhuriyet journalists
Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals has overturned the prison sentences handed down to seven former Cumhuriyet employees and ordered the release of five of...
Erdoğan files criminal complaint against columnist, alleging instigation of coup
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s lawyer has filed a criminal complaint against journalist Ragıp Zarakolu for a column he wrote, accusing him of “instigating...
Rights watchdogs to EU: Put respect for human rights at center of relations with...
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International in a joint letter on Tuesday to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrel...
RSF slams Turkey’s new social media regulation
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in a statement issued July 22 condemned an amendment to the law on Internet crimes submitted this week by the...
Pro-gov’t daily self-censors after columnist criticizes lawmaker’s personal driver for running down a security...
A pro-government newspaper on Sunday self-censored its own columnist when she wrote a piece criticizing a lawmaker who defended his personal driver’s attack on...
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...