ARBITRARY DETENTION AND ARREST
Throughout the week, prosecutors ordered the detention of at least 66 people over alleged links to the Gülen movement. In October 2020, a UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) opinion said that widespread or systematic imprisonment of individuals with alleged links to the group may amount to crimes against humanity. Solidarity with OTHERS has compiled a detailed database to monitor the Gülen-linked mass detentions since a failed coup in July 2016.
ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES
No news has emerged of Yusuf Bilge Tunç, a former public sector worker who was sacked from his job by a decree-law during the 2016-2018 state of emergency and who was reported missing as of August 6, 2019, in what appears to be one of the latest cases in a string of suspected enforced disappearance of government critics since 2016.
FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATION
February 7: On February 6, 2024, the police intervened the commemoration of Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions (DISK), Confederation of Public Employees' Trade Unions (KESK), Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) and Turkish Medical Association (TTB) for the anniversary of February 6, 2023 earthquake in Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, and detained 5 people.
February 8: The police intervened the press declaration of Özak Tekstil workers in front of a shopping mall in Beylikdüzü district of Istanbul on February 7, 2024 to demand their labour rights and detained 23 people.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND MEDIA
February 7: Turkey’s Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday that more than 500 instances of court orders for content removal or access restrictions, including news articles citing a special report by Reuters in June about an international investigation involving Bilal Erdoğan, the son of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, were unconstitutional.
February 9: Turkish authorities issued 46 censorship decisions, barring access to at least 1,401 URLs in January, which concerned news articles, social media posts and domains. Of the 1,401 URLs, 972 contained news reports and 426 were social media posts.
February 9: At least 3 news articles and columns about AKP Izmir Provincial Chairman Bilal Saygılı were blocked from access by the decision of Izmir 4th Criminal Judgeship of Peace on the grounds of violation of personal rights.
February 9: At least 3 news articles about the land case involving Mehmet Uçum, Chief Advisor to the President, were blocked from access by the Istanbul Anatolian 3rd Criminal Judgeship of Peace on the grounds of violation of personal rights.
February 9: Müslüm Koyun, member of the Central Executive Committee (MYK) of the Federation of Socialist Youth Associations (SGDF), was detained on February 9, 2024 in Eskişehir during a house raid on the grounds of social media posts.
February 11: On February 11, Şano Ar's play 'Qral û Travîs', scheduled to be performed at Zeugma Museum Cultural Center, was banned one day before the performance.
JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE & RULE OF LAW
February 5: Turkish Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç’s recent statement that Turkey has a 90 percent compliance rate with judgments from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has been met with skepticism by experts, who argue that the minister is using the data to create a false perception.
February 8: Turkish authorities have detained four lawyers, Betül Vangölü Kozağaçlı, Seda Şaraldı, Didem Baydar Ünsal and Berrak Çağlar, from the Progressive Lawyers’ Association (ÇHD).
OTHER MINORITIES
February 9: The English language channel of Turkey’s state-run broadcaster, TRT World, has announced that its international digital platform will soon air an anti-LGBT documentary series, referring to the community as “the LGBT lobby” and claiming to “reveal the dark side of gender ideology.”
TORTURE AND ILL-TREATMENT
February 9: 96 people who were detained through the investigation on the armed attack in Istanbul Çağlayan Courthouse, were subjected to reverse handcuffing while being transferred to hospital and to torture and ill-treatment during fingerprinting.
February 10: A woman, Aysun Işınkaralar, detained for managing a dormitory affiliated with the Gülen movement described in an interview with the Kronos news website the torture she endured during her detention. While she was in police custody, she was subjected to electric shocks, strangulation attempts, sexual harassment and a mock execution.