The Turkish Human Rights Foundation (TİHV) on Monday called for the urgent release of Mehmet Murat Çalık, the mayor of İstanbul’s Beylikdüzü district, warning that his continued detention without access to timely medical care could put his health and safety in serious danger, the Bianet news website reported.
The group criticized the authorities for postponing care until a report from the state-run Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK) is issued, arguing there is no legal basis for such a delay and that existing medical documentation should be sufficient for the authorities to act and ensure that Çalık is transferred to a fully equipped hospital for immediate care.
“Delaying medical treatment on the grounds of awaiting an ATK decision is both unnecessary and dangerous,” the statement said. “This approach puts the detainee’s health at greater risk and may amount to degrading or inhumane treatment.”
Citing the United Nations Mandela Rules, the TİHV emphasized that prisoners must receive the same standard of healthcare as the general population. It said ignoring existing medical evaluations and relying solely on the ATK, an institution often accused of politically influenced decisions, risks further harm to Çalık.
Çalık was arrested in March during a sweeping crackdown on the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). He had previously undergone treatment for leukemia and lymphoma and has reportedly lost around 18 kilograms while in custody. He has also been experiencing thyroid-related health issues.
Following medical reports indicating strong signs of a recurrence of lymphoma, human rights groups and CHP deputies have called for Çalık’s release.
Despite these calls, Çalık was returned to prison on Tuesday, shortly after undergoing a biopsy. His return went against a hospital report issued during his visit to the hospital that strongly recommended his release pending trial due to the high risk of cancer recurrence.
In the wake of Çalık’s hospitalization, lawyers, opposition deputies and human rights groups have taken to social media to renew their calls for his release.
The case comes amid an intensifying government crackdown on the CHP and its affiliates. Since March, more than 500 people connected to the party or the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) have been detained as part of what the government calls a wide-ranging corruption and terrorism probe.
Among those arrested are 14 CHP mayors, including suspended İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a senior member of the CHP and his party’s presidential candidate for the next election. İmamoğlu was detained on March 19 as part of an investigation that accuses him of corruption and terrorism, widely viewed as politically motivated. He was arrested on corruption charges a few days later.
The detentions follow a series of legal actions against İmamoğlu, whose arrest sparked Turkey’s worst protests in a decade and is seen as targeting the biggest political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the 2028 presidential election.
İmamoğlu has been sentenced to two prison terms, including one for allegedly insulting a public prosecutor. Both sentences are under appeal, but opposition leaders claim the charges are politically motivated.
International human rights groups and lawmakers in Europe have raised concerns over the rule of law in Turkey, warning that the mass detentions and legal pressures could further erode democratic norms. The Silivri prison complex, where many opposition figures are being held, has become a symbol of the country’s deepening political tensions.
