Turkey’s actors, artists under pressure as gov’t turns up the heat
Ayşe Barım, a renowned manager of Turkish television stars, has always steered clear of politics, but that did not help her escape prison on...
Parliament’s Human Rights Committee failing to do its job, says opposition MP
Human rights defender and deputy from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu has asked in a parliamentary question why the Turkish Parliament's...
Doctor arrested for allegedly insulting President Erdoğan on social media
A medical doctor in Turkey was arrested by a court on Wednesday and sent to pretrial detention on charges of insulting the country’s president,...
Torture, ill-treatment and prison conditions in Turkey: 2024 in review
Turkey has experienced a marked resurgence of torture and ill-treatment of people in custody since a coup attempt in July 2016. Lack of condemnation...
Wife of critically ill prisoner urges authorities to release her husband before it’s too...
The wife of Ahmet Zeki Özkan, a 65-year-old man who was arrested last week to serve a sentence for conviction of links to the...
Turkish court rules Altan brothers, Ilıcak, others to remain in jail
An İstanbul court on Monday ruled that journalists Ahmet Altan, Mehmet Altan, Nazlı Ilıcak and Fevzi Yazıcı, who were arrested in September 2016 on...
Police storm city hall, detain 127 as Turkey removes another Kurdish mayor from office
The Turkish government removed a Kurdish mayor from office in the eastern province of Van following a terrorism conviction, appointing the governor as trustee...
Mother of former military cadet stages protest in Ankara, demanding justice for imprisoned...
Melek Çetinkaya, the mother of a former military cadet who is serving a life sentence for allegedly participating in an abortive putsch in Turkey...
Norsk PEN event in Oslo focuses on restoring democracy in Turkey
All stakeholders must join forces in restoring democracy, the rule of law and democratic principles in Turkey, participants said at a panel discussion held...
Indictment seeks up to 15 years for jailed opposition mayor on terrorism charges
Turkish prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of up to 15 years for Ahmet Özer, a mayor from the main opposition Republican People’s Party...
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...