Academic detained due to ‘Kurdistan’ post on social media
A research assistant at a university in eastern Turkey was detained after he was suspended by the university over a “Kurdistan” post on social...
Turkey’s top court denies release of former colonel suffering from advanced stage MS
Mustafa Özcan Çay, a former staff colonel convicted on coup charges, was denied release from prison by Turkey’s Constitutional Court despite his inability to...
Watchdog investigation contradicts defense of prison administration accused of mistreatment
An investigation conducted by the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Turkey (TIHEK) in an Ankara prison has found factual inaccuracies in the prison...
Rights violations against minors in Turkey have increased during the pandemic, children’s rights advocates...
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increase in rights violations against minors in Turkey, children’s rights advocates have said, speaking to the Bianet news...
Cancer patient whose treatment was interrupted after arrest suffering from complications
Ayşe Özdoğan, 33, who suffers from a rare form of cancer, has been struggling with complications since the disease spread to her head because...
Family fears deportation to China of Uyghur detained in İstanbul
The family of Kurban Tohtiniyaz, a Uighur who was detained in İstanbul on September 6, fears his deportation to China.
According to a video posted...
Turkey’s top court says Erdoğan had right to withdraw from women’s treaty
In a move likely to spark a fresh wave of protests from women’s rights groups, Turkey’s top administrative court on Tuesday ruled that President...
Turkey’s minister of education brands teacher a ‘terrorist’ over hiring-system criticism
Minister of Education Yusuf Tekin publicly accused a teacher of being a “terrorist” after the teacher criticized Turkey’s controversial interview-based hiring system, the TR724...
Kurdish mayor tortured under police custody arrested by court
A Turkish court has ruled to arrest the ousted co-mayor of Van’s Edremit Municipality, Rojbin Çetin, who was attacked by police dogs and tortured...
Turkey has removed 154 mayors since 2016 coup attempt, mainly on ‘terrorism charges’
The Turkish government has removed 154 mayors from office, most often on accusations related to terrorism in the last eight years, replacing them with...
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...