Report highlights decline in human rights protections in Turkey since 2016
A coalition of 12 organizations, including the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), the Human Rights Association (İHD), and several other rights groups, has submitted a comprehensive report on human rights violations in Turkey to the United Nations Human Rights Committee. The report will be discussed at the committee’s 142nd session in October, where Turkey’s compliance with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) will be reviewed.
The report emphasizes that Turkey’s human rights protection mechanisms have significantly deteriorated since 2016, particularly following the state of emergency imposed after the failed coup attempt. The coalition highlights how emergency measures were made permanent, undermining freedom of expression, civil society, and democratic processes. The report also underscores the erosion of judicial independence and Turkey’s failure to comply with rulings from international courts, such as the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Key recommendations include urgently amending post-emergency laws to align with international human rights standards. The coalition calls on Turkey to respect and implement ECHR and Turkish Constitutional Court rulings in high-profile cases such as those of Selahattin Demirtaş, Osman Kavala, and Can Atalay. The report also stresses the need to protect the cultural and linguistic rights of minorities, particularly Kurds, Roma, and other unrecognized ethnic groups, by enacting laws that allow them to use their languages in public services. The coalition urges Turkey to remove its reservations on Article 27 of the ICCPR to expand minority rights.
Additionally, the report highlights issues of violence against women, discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ individuals, and the suppression of civil society organizations. It calls on Turkey to rejoin the Istanbul Convention on preventing violence against women and to implement legal reforms consistent with human rights standards.
The report will be reviewed during the UN Human Rights Committee’s session on October 23-24, where Turkey’s obligations under the ICCPR will be assessed.
Medya ve Hukuk Çalışmaları Derneği (MLSA) haber alma hakkı, ifade özgürlüğü ve basın özgürlüğü alanlarında faaliyet yürüten bir sivil toplum kuruluşudur. Derneğimiz başta gazeteciler olmak üzere mesleki faaliyetleri sebebiyle yargılanan kişilere hukuki destek vermektedir.