Crackdown on the Kurdish Political Movement and Opposition Groups: 2023 in Review
The Turkish government’s persecution of the Kurdish political movement and pressures on other opposition groups persisted throughout 2023, a year in which Turkey held presidential and legislative elections.
The May 2023 re-election of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the victory of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in parliamentary elections consolidated his authoritarian rule in Turkey and increased pressure on perceived critics and political opponents. More..
Exiled journalist testifies on Turkey’s transnational repression at US Congress
Abdülhamit Bilici, the former editor-in-chief of the now-closed Zaman daily, has given a testimony on the Turkish government’s transnational repression at a congressional hearing in Washington, D.C. More..
Turkish court finds no crimes against humanity in deadly military arson against Kurdish family
A court in central Turkey has released its reasoned decision in the case of the mass murder of a Kurdish family in a deliberately lit fire in 1993, which stated that the military action does not amount to a crime against humanity. More..
Turkey briefly detains man for reacting to lack of Kurdish-language services at airport
Turkish authorities briefly detained Memduh Çalışan, who went viral on social media after posting a video of himself complaining about the unavailability of services in Kurdish at an İstanbul airport. More..
Turkish mother reveals the effects of government’s post-coup purge on their family
A Turkish mother revealed on a YouTube channel that her child did not recognize his father, who had been jailed for alleged links to the Gülen movement, upon his release. More..
Journalist gets suspended sentence due to tweet on YPJ women in Kobani
An İstanbul court has handed down a suspended sentence of 15 months to a journalist due to a 2015 tweet that showed women, part of a Kurdish group in Syria, celebrating the liberation of the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). More..
Turkey convicts journalist over criticism of former interior minister, gendarmerie commander
A Turkish court has convicted journalist Zafer Arapkirli of insult charges due to his social media criticism of former interior minister Süleyman Soylu and current gendarmerie general commander Arif Çetin. More..
Journalist faces up to 5 years in prison due to report on judicial corruption
Turkish prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of up to five years for a journalist due to one of his articles last year in which he talked about alleged corruption in the judiciary. More..
Prison administration denies former teacher convicted of Gülen links parole
A former teacher imprisoned for links to the Gülen movement has been denied parole despite being eligible since September 2023. More..
Prominent journalists given prison sentences in retrial over Gülen links
A Turkish court that heard the retrial of several journalists and media workers on terrorism charges due to their alleged links to a faith-based group has handed down prison sentences to two prominent journalists and one art director on charges
of abetting a criminal organization. More..
Turkey detains 42 people over alleged Gülen links
Turkish police on Thursday detained 42 people for alleged links to the Gülen movement, a faith-based group accused by the government of “terrorist activities. More..
A Swedish-based, non-profit advocacy organization, Stockholm Center for Freedom promotes the rule of law, democracy and human rights with a special focus on Turkey.
Committed to serving as a reference source by providing a broad perspective on rights violations in Turkey, SCF monitors daily developments, documents individual cases of the infringement of fundamental rights and publishes comprehensive reports on human rights issues.
SCF is a member of the Alliance Against Genocide, an international coalition working to exert pressure on the UN, regional organizations and national governments to act on early warning signs and take action to prevent genocide.
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