US congressional commission tackles Turkey’s human rights record
The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, a bipartisan body within the US House of Representatives, held a hearing on Tuesday to address the human rights situation in Turkey and heard testimony by several well-known government critics living in exile.
Hosted by Representatives Christopher Smith (R-NJ) and James McGovern (D-MA), the event featured as witnesses Enes Kanter Freedom, a former NBA basketball player and human rights activist; Abdulhamit Bilici, the former editor-in-chief of the now-closed Zaman daily; and Nadine Maenza, the president of the Washington, D.C.,-based International Religious Freedom (IRF) Secretariat. More..
CoE calls on Turkey to amend criminal and anti-terrorism laws, release political prisoners
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE), which monitors the enforcement of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), called on Turkey to significantly reform its criminal and anti-terrorism laws and urgently release political prisoners. More..
16-year-old daughter of dismissed teachers dies of heart attack
Ece Nur Esen, a 16-year-old girl whose parents were fired from their jobs by an emergency decree issued after a failed coup in Turkey in 2016, died of a heart attack on the morning of April 13th. More..
Kurdish villagers terrorized at military checkpoint in SE Turkey
A video circulating on social media showed a group of Kurdish villagers being verbally harassed and threatened by soldiers at a checkpoint in the southeastern province of Hakkari, over an identification and criminal background check. More..
Turkey detains 36 people on alleged Gülen links
Police in western Turkey have detained 36 people, including several dozen small business owners, on accusations of links to the Gülen movement, a faith-based group accused by the Turkish government of “terrorist activities”. More..
At least 425 workers died in occupational accidents in first quarter of 2024: İSİG
Turkey recorded at least 425 deaths in work-related accidents in the first quarter of this year. More..
83-year-old retired general faces serious health risks in prison
Nilgül Doğan, the wife of 83-year-old retired general Çetin Doğan, has announced that her husband’s incarceration has led to a significant deterioration of his health, resulting in risks to his life. More..
Man killed in cable car accident turns out to be purge victim
Memiş Enes Gümüş, a 54-year-old man who was killed in a cable car accident in southern Turkey, has been revealed to have been one of thousands of former judges and prosecutors who were summarily removed from the judiciary in the aftermath of a failed coup in 2016. More..
Prison denies inmate his own book for being ‘motivational’
A prison administration in northwest Turkey has refused to deliver inmate Mehmet Alçınkaya a copy of his autobiography on the grounds that the book’s content was deemed “motivational” and “educational.” More..
EU asylum reform tightens criteria for Turkish nationals
The European Parliament has adopted a comprehensive pact to reform migration and asylum policies, which includes tough measures that could affect Turkish nationals in particular, as their recognition rate for asylum applications is below 20 percent. More..
Turkish court arrests opposition mayor over deadly cable car accident
In a development seen as politically motivated by many, a Turkish court has ruled for the arrest of the opposition mayor of a district in southern Antalya province along with four others over a cable car accident last week that left one person dead. More..
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