Two Kurdish construction workers have filed a criminal complaint alleging they were mistreated by police during detention after attending Nevruz celebrations in İstanbul, the Mezopotamya News Agency (MA) reported.
Eren Abaş, 21, and a 22-year-old identified only by the initials E.K. said police detained them in a late-night raid on their home after returning from Kurdish spring festival celebrations held on March 22 in İstanbul’s Yenikapı district.
The two said police beat them during the detention and subjected them to further abuse for about an hour at the Samandıra Police Station, where three police officers allegedly mistreated them.
The workers said authorities did not tell them why they were being detained and released them without taking their statements or referring to the prosecutor’s office.
After their release, the two men obtained medical reports from the Ümraniye Teaching and Research Hospital documenting their injuries and filed a criminal complaint against the officers involved.
According to the Global Torture Index 2025, released by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), Turkey is in the second-highest risk tier among 26 countries assessed, citing widespread allegations of torture, unchecked police violence and legal and institutional barriers that block accountability.
The index finds that police brutality and the use of excessive force are widespread, particularly during protests. Law enforcement officers frequently operate with impunity, aided by legal requirements that shield public officials from prosecution unless administrative permission is granted.
