Marking the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) and the Human Rights Association (İHD) issued a joint statement in Istanbul on Wednesday, warning that mistreatment and torture remain alarmingly widespread in detention centers.
The statement was delivered in front of a now-demolished police station in Istanbul’s Gayrettepe neighborhood, a site once infamous for torture — particularly following a military coup in 1980, during which some 650,000 people were reportedly subjected to torture.
Watchdog representatives emphasized that although the building itself no longer stands, torture and mistreatment remain widespread across Turkey. In 2024, 697 people reported being tortured to the TİHV, with over half stating that the abuse occurred in police detention centers. The highest number of cases wasrecorded in Istanbul, followed by Van, Diyarbakır and Ankara.
“Police headquarters and associated units continue to be primary official detention sites where systematic torture is used to punish, intimidate, deter, or pressure suspects. Testimonies from torture victims contradict the claims of political authorities [who deny torture in detention] and indicate that torture and other ill-treatment are still systematically practiced, that no meaningful steps have been taken to prevent torture, and that impunity continues to protect violators,” said IHD and TİHV representatives.
They added that stories of mistreatment had increased since March 19, during which the detention and subsequent arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu sparked nationwide protests. Nearly 2,000 people were detained amid the protests, and media reports surfaced detailing detainees’ harrowing testimony of unlawful strip-searches, sexual harassment and physical abuse in custody. Turkish lawyers said there was credible evidence supporting these claims.
