Turkey’s Constitutional Court has for a second time postponed a ruling on a yearslong fair trial complaint filed on behalf of Mazlum İçli, who was arrested at age 14 during the 2014 Kobani protests and sentenced to aggravated life in prison despite witness testimony and phone records putting him 140 kilometers from the scene. According […] The post Turkey’s top court delays ruling again in case of Kurdish man jailed at 14 despite contradictory evidence appeared first on Stockholm Center for F...

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has urged Turkey to rejoin the Istanbul Convention, warning that women and girls are being left without key protections as gender-based violence remains widespread and underreported. In a resolution adopted during its spring session on April 22, the assembly said Turkey’s withdrawal from the treaty has […] The post PACE urges Turkey to rejoin Istanbul Convention, cites ongoing violence against women appeared first on Stockholm Center ...

Twenty-five international and local press freedom organizations have strongly condemned Turkey’s intensified use of its disinformation law to systematically prosecute journalists, calling for the repeal of the legislation and the immediate release of all journalists held under it. In a joint statement issued Tuesday, the groups said authorities have used Article 217/A of the Turkish […] The post Press groups condemn Turkey’s ‘weaponization’ of disinformation law against journalists appeared f...

Nearly 40 people, including journalists, labor union members and opposition figures, were detained on Tuesday in İstanbul ahead of International Workers’ Day, celebrated on May 1, Turkish Minute reported, citing Agence France-Presse. The İstanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office told reporters that detention and search warrants had been issued for 62 people, 46 of whom it deemed […] The post Dozens detained in Turkey ahead of May 1 celebrations appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

Representatives from several major European institutions have sent a rare joint letter to Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, expressing concern over the state of local democracy, citing the prolonged detention of elected officials and its impact on democratic governance, Turkish Minute reported. The development was announced on Monday by Nacho Sánchez Amor, the European Parliament’s rapporteur on […] The post European institutions raise alarm over local democracy in Turkey in joint let...

The death of a dismissed teacher in Ankara has drawn renewed attention to the hardships faced by individuals and families affected by a sweeping government crackdown launched after a 2016 coup attempt in Turkey, which led to mass dismissals and prosecutions. According to reporting by the TR724 news website, Belkıs Çağlar, a 48-year-old former teacher […] The post Death of dismissed teacher highlights hardships faced by victims of a post-coup purge in Turkey appeared first on Stockholm Center ...

Turkish police detained more than 30 people in İstanbul on Monday after blocking a May Day commemoration near Taksim Square, including union leaders and representatives of political parties and civil society groups, Turkish Minute reported, citing the Anka news agency. The police prevented members of the May 1 Taksim Initiative, a coalition of unions and […] The post Police block May Day commemoration, detain dozens in İstanbul’s Taksim Square appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

A group of 28 lawmakersof the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), drawn from national parliaments across Europe, has submitted a motion calling for targeted sanctions against Turkish judges and prosecutors over Ankara’s failure to implement binding rulings from Europe’s top human rights court. The motion, dated April 22, urges Council of Europe […] The post MPs from Council of Europe member states seek sanctions over Turkey’s failure to implement court rulings appeared fir...

The main lawyers’ group in Kurdish-majority Diyarbakır province, which has faced prosecution over earlier April 24 statements, has called for Turkey to confront the 1915 mass killings and deportations of Armenians, saying the events are “widely defined internationally as genocide,” Turkish Minute reported. In a statement on Friday the Diyarbakır Bar Association said the events […] The post Top lawyers’ group in Kurdish-majority Turkish city calls for reckoning with Armenian genocide appeared ...

Public trust in Turkey’s judiciary has fallen to 36 percent, with half of respondents saying they do not trust the courts, according to a March 2026 survey that points to a crisis of confidence in key state institutions, Turkish Minute reported. The survey, conducted by İstanbul-based Gündemar between March 23 and 26 on 2,200 people […] The post Half of Turks distrust the judiciary, with confidence dropping to 36 percent: survey appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

Three brothers in eastern Turkey were detained and beaten by police following a traffic dispute on Wednesday, the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya news agency reported. The incident took place in Van’s Başkale district, where Fatih Değer, İsmail Değer and Diyar Değer were driving to work when they confronted plainclothes officers who allegedly entered the road without following […] The post Police accused of beating 3 brothers after traffic dispute in eastern Turkey appeared first on Stockholm Center ...

Twenty elected mayors from Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) remain in prison two years after the March 31, 2024, local elections, while 25 CHP mayors, including İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, have been suspended from office, Turkish Minute reported, citing the BirGün news website. According to the report, 23 elected CHP mayors have been […] The post 20 opposition mayors remain jailed as crackdown on CHP rolls back its 2024 local election gains appeared first on Stockho...

A Turkish court on Monday arrested two demonstrators and put 20 others under judicial supervision after police detained 79 people during a protest in İstanbul over the death of a university student, the T24 news website reported. Karadeniz Technical University student İlayda Zorlu, 19, was found dead at her family’s home in Hatay province on […] The post Turkish court arrests 2 after protest over student’s suspicious death appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

Turkey saw worsening restrictions on human rights, mounting prosecutions of rights defenders, growing political pressure on the judiciary and a deepening culture of impunity for abuses in 2025, according to a new report by Amnesty International. The report documented a growing number of investigations, prosecutions and convictions targeting people and groups exercising their right to […] The post Turkey deepened rights crackdown, impunity in 2025: Amnesty International appeared first on Stock...

One hundred ten Turkish coal miners who had marched 200 kilometers (125 miles) to stage a hunger strike over their unpaid wages were detained on Tuesday morning, Agence France-Presse reported, citing their union. After a nine-day march to Ankara from the neighboring province of Eskişehir, the miners arrived on Monday for a topless sit-in outside […] The post Turkey detains 110 coal miners on hunger strike appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

A Turkish civil servant dismissed by an emergency decree after a coup attempt in 2016 and later sentenced to prison was hospitalized after attempting suicide in jail, with an opposition lawmaker saying he had been unable to access prescribed medication for depression. İdris Ekinci attempted to take his own life in Sakarya L Type Prison, […] The post Dismissed Turkish civil servant hospitalized after reported suicide attempt in prison appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

Turkish authorities have detained 21 more people in the Manavgat district municipality in southern Turkey as part of a continuing crackdown targeting municipalities governed by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Turkish Minute reported, citing the state-run TRT Haber. Prosecutors in Antalya ordered the detention of 21 suspects as part of an ongoing investigation […] The post 21 more detained in southern municipality in ongoing crackdown on main opposition party appeared firs...

More than one in three children in Turkey faced a risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2025, according to data from Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). Children accounted for 36.8 percent of those at risk, compared to 27.9 percent of the total population. The rate was slightly higher among girls, at 37.8 percent, than boys, […] The post More than one-third of children in Turkey faced poverty risk in 2025, official data show appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

Turkish police on Monday detained 29 people, including municipal staff and the western province of Uşak’s provincial head of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), in an operation targeting the Uşak Municipality that expanded a corruption investigation that already led to the jailing and suspension of Mayor Özkan Yalım last month, Turkish Minute reported. […] The post Municipal staff, CHP provincial chairman among 29 detained in continuing crackdown on main opposition appeared f...

Forty-eight percent of students enrolled in Turkey’s Vocational Education Centers (MESEM) have experienced at least one workplace accident, while 53 percent work more than 10 hours per day, according to a new survey underscoring child labor and safety concerns in the state-run apprenticeship system. The survey, conducted by the Dialectical Research Institute, documented broader problems […] The post Nearly half of students in Turkey’s MESEM program report accidents, overwork appeared first on...

A 26-year-old lawyer was shot dead in Bursa on Tuesday by a man reportedly subject to enforcement proceedings she had initiated on behalf of a client, prompting condemnation from bar associations and opposition politicians. Hatice Kocaefe was shot in the Gülsu district of Bursa while she was with her sister, according to the Anka news […] The post Young lawyer shot dead in Bursa, prompting warnings over safety of lawyers appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

Cengiz Holding, a major Turkish conglomerate with close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has applied to restart gold production at the Çöpler mine in eastern Turkey’s Erzincan province, where a 2024 landslide killed nine workers, raising fresh concerns about safety and oversight, Turkish Minute reported, citing local media. The company, which is active in […] The post Pro-gov’t Cengiz Holding seeks to restart gold production at mine where 9 workers died appeared first on Stockholm Cent...

Turkey on Tuesday jailed seven people in Kayseri province, including teachers, military officers and a police officer, after an appeals court upheld their prison sentences on conviction of alleged links to the faith-based Gülen movement, according to the TR724 news website. Four teachers, a military officer, a noncommissioned officer and a police officer were jailed […] The post Turkey jails 7 people after appeals court upholds Gülen-link convictions appeared first on Stockholm Center for Fre...

Turkish prosecutors are seeking prison sentences of up to five years for eight people accused of insulting police officers during a deadly attack outside the Israeli Consulate General in İstanbul earlier this month, Turkish Minute reported, citing Habertürk TV. According to an indictment drafted by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the suspects face charges of “publicly […] The post 8 face prison over video allegedly mocking police during İstanbul attack appeared first on Stockho...

More than half of people in Turkey say they have faced legal action for expressing their views, according to a recent survey that points to widespread self-censorship and eroded confidence in freedom of expression in the country. The findings point to a self-censorship that has seeped into everyday life, with more than four in five […] The post Most people in Turkey censor themselves in phone calls and online, fearing surveillance and prosecution, survey finds appeared first on Stockholm Cent...

Turkish authorities have declined to authorize an investigation into 36 public officials over alleged negligence in a wildfire that killed 10 people in 2025, prompting objections from victims’ families and opposition politicians, the TR724 news website reported. The decision was taken by the Directorate General of Forestry, an agency under the Ministry of Agriculture and […] The post Turkey blocks probe into officials for alleged negligence in 2025 wildfire that killed 10 appeared first on St...

Turkish prosecutors are seeking up to 15 years in prison for engineer Baki Açıkel over his alleged role in US-based education and civic organizations that prosecutors say were linked to the faith-based Gülen movement, Turkish Minute reported. The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office filed the indictment against Açıkel as part of Turkey’s long-running crackdown on […] The post Turkey seeks up to 15 years for engineer over role in US education and foundation network appeared first on Stockho...

Turkish actor and filmmaker Nadir Sarıbacak, who has lived in exile in the US since a failed coup in Turkey in 2016, said he is preparing for a US theater tour after the festival run of his first feature film, a drama rooted in immigrant loneliness and trauma, Turkish Minute reported. Sarıbacak said in a […] The post Turkish actor in exile announces US theater tour after turning his immigrant experience into film appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

A Turkish court on Friday handed down a suspended sentence of more than one year to Kurdish journalist Mehmet Üçar on terrorism propaganda charges over his reporting for pro-Kurdish outlets, the Media and Law Studies Association reported. The Batman 2nd High Criminal Court convicted Üçar of disseminating terrorist propaganda based on his articles in the […] The post Turkish court convicts Kurdish journalist on terrorism propaganda charges appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

A Turkish court has handed down an 11-month suspended sentence to social media personality and singer Murat Övüç for insulting religious values in a video in which he wore a headscarf, Turkish Minute reported, citing the Bianet news website. Övüç was arrested on December 20 on charges of inciting hatred and hostility and spent 102 […] The post Turkish social media personality gets 11-month suspended sentence over headscarf video appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

A Turkish court on Wednesday again handed down a suspended sentence of 15 months to journalist Neşe İdil on charges of disseminating terrorist propaganda in her social media posts, in a retrial following a ruling by Turkey’s Constitutional Court. According to the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), the İstanbul 22nd High Criminal Court repeated […] The post Turkish court again convicts journalist of terrorist propaganda in posts despite top court ruling appeared first on Stockholm Cente...

At least 852 children have died in work-related accidents in Turkey over the past 13 years, according to new data released on Wednesday.  The figures, compiled by the Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG), a Turkish labor rights group, point out ongoing concerns about child labor in the country, particularly in agriculture, construction and small-scale […] The post At least 852 child workers have died on the job since 2013 appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

Turkey’s Ministry of Justice is drafting a bill requiring social media users to verify their identity through a government system, expanding state oversight of online speech in a country where authorities have repeatedly prosecuted journalists and critics. The proposal would require users to authenticate their identity through the government’s e-Government portal (e-Devlet) when opening accounts, […] The post Turkey proposes mandatory identity checks for social media, raising press freedom co...

Turkish authorities must end their improper and excessive use of the country’s disinformation law to target journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said on Tuesday, calling for the release of local journalist Mehmet Yetim, Turkish Minute reported. Yetim, the editor-in-chief of local broadcaster Kulis TV, was detained in a dawn raid on April 18 in the […] The post CPJ urges Turkey to stop using disinformation law against journalists appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

A Turkish court has jailed former Tunceli governor Tuncay Sonel on charges including evidence tampering in a long-running investigation into the 2020 disappearance of university student Gülistan Doku, Turkish Minute reported. Sonel, who was detained on April 17, was arrested on April 21 after being referred to court by prosecutors following questioning. He faces charges including “destroying, […] The post Former governor arrested in probe into disappearance of Kurdish student appeared first o...

A Turkish court has ordered the arrest of a former İstanbul police chief who was part of the team that led corruption investigations in 2013, on charges of alleged links to the faith-based Gülen movement, the state-run TRT Haber reported. Hayati Başdağ, who was sought on detention warrants issued by multiple courts in Ankara and […] The post Former police chief involved in Turkey’s 2013 corruption investigations arrested over alleged Gülen links appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

Turkey’s justice minister said Tuesday that authorities are re-examining previously closed case files, with priority given to unresolved cases that triggered public outrage, Turkish Minute reported. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said a special unit at the Justice Ministry is reviewing files that ended in decisions not to prosecute, including unsolved crimes. He said the unit […] The post Turkey to review unresolved cases that drew public outrage, justice minister says appeared first on Stockho...

A Turkish journalist was briefly detained on Friday on accusations of publicly disseminating misinformation in social media posts related to school shootings in the southeastern provinces of Şanlıurfa and Kahramanmaraş last week, the soL Haber news website reported. In the posts cited as grounds for his detention, Turgay Kılıç said “attack bargaining” was taking place […] The post Turkish journalist briefly detained over social media posts on school shootings appeared first on Stockholm Cente...

The number of people held in pretrial detention in Turkey reached 62,514 as of April 1, 2026, up from 38,537 in 2023, according to official data from the Ministry of Justice. Figures show the number had risen to 55,240 by the end of 2024 and continued climbing through 2025, reaching 57,503 by August 1 of […] The post Number of pretrial detainees in Turkey jumps 62 percent since 2023 appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

Turkish authorities blocked access to 940 social media accounts and shut down 93 Telegram groups following two deadly school attacks as part of a broader crackdown on online content, the Kısadalga news website reported. Police said the measures targeted accounts and groups accused of praising crime or spreading content deemed harmful to public order after […] The post Turkey blocks 940 accounts, shuts down 93 Telegram groups after school attacks appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

Turkey violated the right to freedom of expression 432 times between 2002 and 2025, according to rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), the Velev news website reported. The judgments, issued under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), show that freedom of expression has remained one of Turkey’s most […] The post ECtHR found violations of freedom of expression by Turkey in 432 rulings since 2002 appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Wednesday that Turkey would continue a peace initiative aimed at ending the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) armed campaign, after Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish party accused the government of taking hesitant steps and failing to match the pace of the opportunity before it, Turkish Minute reported. Speaking at a parliamentary group […] The post Erdoğan says Turkey’s peace initiative will continue as pro-Kurdish party voices doubts over delays appeared ...

Facing mounting condemnation from opposition politicians, journalists and civil society figures, Turkish government officials have contacted and visited the family of a school shooting victim whose father was purged from public service over alleged links to the faith-based Gülen movement, in an apparent effort to contain the backlash over alleged discrimination. Criticism erupted after an […] The post Turkish gov’t moves to contain backlash over alleged discrimination against school shooting ...

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday criticized Turkey’s detention of an environmental activist, warning it raises concerns about whether the country will uphold the rights of environmental defenders as co-host of the United Nations climate summit, COP31, scheduled for November. The statement preceded a Turkish court decision on Monday to keep 26-year-old activist Esra Işık […] The post HRW criticizes Turkey over jailing of environmental activist ahead of COP31 appeared first on Stockholm Cente...

United Nations special rapporteurs have raised serious concerns about Turkey’s use of counterterrorism laws to judicially harass and criminalize human rights defenders and lawyers, including what they described as the misuse of the terrorism financing law. In a letter sent to the Turkish government on February 23, 2026, but published only recently, the rapporteurs said authorities […] The post UN rapporteurs raise concerns over Turkey’s use of terrorism laws against rights defenders appeared ...

Turkey’s Constitutional Court has rejected an appeal filed on behalf of victims of the 2015 Ankara train station bombing, ruling the application inadmissible in a decision lawyers say ignores possible state negligence, Turkish Minute reported, citing the Evrensel daily. The ruling concerns a petition challenging a criminal court verdict issued on August 3, 2018, in […] The post Turkey’s top court rejects appeal in 2015 Ankara bombing case appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

Nearly 4 in 10 older residents in Istanbul say they cannot make ends meet, while many report going without medicine, adequate food or social activities due to financial hardship, according to a new study published Friday by a municipal research body, the Birgün daily reported. The report by the Istanbul Planning Agency, an institution affiliated […] The post Report finds nearly 4 in 10 older residents in Istanbul struggling to make ends meet appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

A Turkish court on Friday began the trial of journalist Mahir Bağış on charges of insult and disseminating disinformation in a report on expenditures made by a governor appointed as a trustee to the Batman Municipality. Bağış faces charges of “inciting the public to hatred and hostility,” “publicly spreading misleading information” and “insult” in his […] The post Turkish journalist stands trial over report on governor’s expenditures as trustee appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

A senior opposition lawmaker has called for the reinvestigation of the death of a 23-year-old Uzbek maid in the home of Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Şirin Ünal, amid public criticism over the mishandling of unsolved suspicious death cases across Turkey. Aylin Nazlıaka, deputy chair of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), said […] The post Opposition lawmaker calls for reinvestigation of Uzbek woman’s death in AKP deputy’s home appeared first on Stockholm Center f...

A delegation of Turkish opposition parties on Thursday called for the release of jailed Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş and demanded that Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu be tried without pretrial detention, after visiting prisons holding prominent political figures and activists. According to the Birgün daily, the group, representing 13 opposition parties including the main opposition Republican […] The post Coalition of Turkish opposition parties call for Demirtaş’s release, says Istanb...

Turkish police on Wednesday detained three academics and a doctor in Tekirdağ province as part of an ongoing crackdown on the faith-based Gülen movement, the TR724 news website reported. Three of the detainees, all academics at Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University, and a doctor working at a private hospital in Edirne’s Keşan district, were detained in […] The post Turkey detains 3 academics, doctor over alleged Gülen links appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

The İstanbul Governor’s Office has for the fourth consecutive year denied permission to hold a ceremony marking April 24, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, the Agos daily reported. The April 24 Commemoration Platform had applied to organize a memorial ceremony at the Süreyya Opera House in İstanbul’s Kadıköy district on April 24. As in the previous […] The post İstanbul Governor’s Office again bans Armenian genocide commemoration appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

The Turkish Justice Ministry is preparing to replace police station sign-ins for many people under judicial supervision with a phone-based biometric and GPS tracking system, part of a plan to expand the country’s digital monitoring capacity from about 3,000 people to roughly 450,000 nationwide, Turkish Minute reported. The reports cited the Justice Ministry’s 2025 activity […] The post Turkey to dramatically expand biometric, GPS tracking in judicial monitoring appeared first on Stockholm Cen...

A Palestinian woman jailed after taking part in a protest outside the US Consulate General in İstanbul against Washington’s support for Israel’s destruction of Gaza was taken from prison to a police station and then put in deportation proceedings, according to her lawyer and her husband, Turkish Minute reported, citing the Bianet news website. Esraa […] The post Turkey moves to deport Palestinian woman arrested after anti-US protest over Gaza appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

Turkish authorities have put the assets of opposition television station TELE1 up for sale, months after the detention of its editor-in-chief and the appointment of a state trustee to the broadcaster, the TR724 news website reported. The sale was announced by the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF), which said it would auction the station through […] The post Turkey moves to sell seized pro-opposition broadcaster TELE1 appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

A Turkish court on Saturday ordered the arrest of local journalist Mehmet Yetim on charges of publicly disseminating misleading information in a social media post about a knife attack at a school in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, even though he later deleted the post and shared a correction. Yetim, the editor-in-chief of the local […] The post Turkey arrests journalist over post on school knife attack despite later correction appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

The son of a former provincial governor was arrested over the weekend in an investigation into the 2020 disappearance of university student Gülistan Doku, bringing the number of jailed suspects to 10, Turkish Minute reported, citing BBC Turkish. Doku, a 21-year-old student, disappeared on January 5, 2020, in the eastern province of Tunceli, where she […] The post Ex-governor’s son among 10 jailed as probe into disappearance of Kurdish student deepens appeared first on Stockholm Center for Fre...

An 11-year-old boy killed in a school shooting in southeastern Turkey last week and his family faced discriminatory treatment in an official notification and at his funeral because his father had been dismissed from the civil service and later convicted of alleged links to the Gülen movement. Claims of discrimination first emerged after Yusuf Tarık […] The post School shooting victim and family face discrimination over father’s alleged Gülen links appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.

Turkish police detained Onursal Adıgüzel, mayor of İstanbul’s Ataşehir district, three deputy mayors and 14 others in an overnight operation as part of an ongoing crackdown that has hit a growing number of municipalities run by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Turkish Minute reported. Prosecutors said the investigation concerns alleged bribery, bid rigging […] The post İstanbul district mayor among 18 detained in continuing crackdown on main opposition party appeared first...

Seventy-two percent of minors in Turkey who are entered into the criminal justice system have had prior contact with authorities, according to data shared by Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, raising concerns about repeat offenses and the system’s effectiveness, the Türkiye daily reported. The data presented at a parliamentary commission on children driven to crime, indicate […] The post 7 in 10 juvenile offenders in Turkey are repeat cases, data show appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.