Kurdish politician in Turkey kept in jail despite eligibility for release
Gültan Kışanak, a Kurdish politician and the former co-mayor of Diyarbakır incarcerated in Turkey, is being denied release by the authorities despite her eligibility...
Biden invites 110 participants to Summit for Democracy, snubs Turkey
US President Joe Biden has invited 110 participants to a virtual Summit for Democracy in December, including major Western allies but not Turkey, according...
Turkish court blocks YouTuber’s website and video on presidential security
A Turkish court has blocked access to YouTuber Halil İbrahim Balsak’s website and, separately, to a video posted on his YouTube channel, examining how...
AKP members target award-winning actress for pro-women’s-rights speech
Members of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have targeted award-winning actress Merve Dizdar for a speech she gave about women’s rights at...
Lawyers organizations call on Ankara Bar Association to publish report on torture
Six lawyers organizations have called on the Ankara Bar Association to publish a report on allegations of torture made by detainees held at a...
Google’s algorithm changes and YouTube censorship deepen suppression of Erdogan critics
In early 2025 sweeping algorithm changes by Google and its subsidiary YouTube significantly diminished the visibility of independent media outlets and critical voices in...
Former public servant believed to have died in work-related accident
A former public servant who was fired by a government decree after a coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016 is believed to...
Press groups condemn detention of 4 journalists in Turkey, call for their release
Press freedom and human rights organizations have condemned the detention of four journalists in Turkey, calling it a crackdown on independent media and demanding...
Main opposition MP under investigation over criticism of Turkish military
Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into Sezgin Tanrıkulu, a Kurdish lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), due to comments critical...
‘I’ll leave this place in a coffin,’ ailing prisoner in Turkey says
Muharrem Cankılıç, a 63-year-old ailing man incarcerated in a northwest Turkey prison, has reportedly told his visitors that he expects to die behind bars...
Latest Reports
UN Findings on Turkey’s Crackdown on the Gülen Movement: Widespread and Systematic Rights Violations...
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This report analyzes UN findings on Turkey’s post-2016 counterterrorism measures targeting people with alleged links to the faith-based Gülen movement.
Drawing on opinions of...
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...