HRW urges Turkey to end prosecutions for ‘insulting the president’
“‘Insulting the president’ should not be a crime, and students holding up a satirical banner obviously should never have faced prosecution,” said Benjamin Ward,...
Reports: Saudi journalist Khashoggi decapitated in Turkey after fingers cut off
Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was decapitated on Oct. 2 inside Saudi Arabia's consulate in İstanbul after torture during which his fingers were cut off,...
Turkish gov’t issues detention warrants for 15 journalists over alleged Gülen links
Eight media workers were detained on Wednesday during operations in seven provinces following the issuance of detention warrants by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's...
Turkish court lifts travel ban on Turkish-German journalist’s husband
A Turkish court on Tuesday lifted a travel ban on Suat Çorlu, the husband of Turkish-German journalist Meşale Tolu, Deutsche Welle Turkish service reported.
The...
Turkish President Erdoğan: Some ‘material’ at Saudi consulate in İstanbul painted over
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Tuesday some "materials" at the Saudi consulate in İstanbul where critical journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappeared two weeks...
Turkish court requests red notices for journalists Can Dündar and İlhan Tanır
A Turkish court on Tuesday requested Interpol Red Notices for critical journalists Can Dündar and İlhan Tanır, both living in exile, on espionage charges,...
Turkish gov’t prosecutes 176 people over social media posts in a week
The Turkish government has investigated 229 social media accounts and taken legal action against 176 users over the last week (Oct. 8-Oct. 15) on accusations...
Turkish gov’t detains journalist Öner, former editor of pro-Kurdish Demokratik Modernite magazine
The Turkish government on Friday detained Servet Öner, the former editor of pro-Kurdish monthly magazine Demokratik Modernite, in the Beyoğlu district of İstanbul as...
Turkish journalists face jail for describing Brunson case as ‘hostage diplomacy’
Turkish prosecutors have launched legal proceedings against two journalists for calling a terrorism case involving American pastor Andrew Brunson “failing hostage diplomacy,” as intense...
Turkish court releases German citizen jailed on Erdoğan insult charges
A German citizen of Turkish origin, Hüseyin M., who was arrested in late August on charges of insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in...
Latest Reports
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...
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...