23-29 March 2026
Arbitrary Detention and Arrest
Throughout the week, prosecutors ordered the detention of at least 103 people over alleged links to the Gülen movement. Since 2017, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) has issued 26 opinions concerning arbitrary detentions based on alleged membership in the Gülen movement, in which it has expressed grave concern that the widespread or systematic imprisonment of individuals linked 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.
25 March: Turkish prosecutors ordered the detention of nine people for allegedly using the ByLock messaging app despite ECtHR rulings because authorities continue to treat its use as evidence of terrorism-related membership without individualized proof.
Arbitrary Depriviation of Life
24 March: A critically ill 70-year-old Kurdish prisoner, Mehmet Edip Taşar, died in hospital after authorities repeatedly denied his release despite severe health conditions, raising concerns over failure to suspend sentences for seriously ill inmates.
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
24 March: Turkish police detained 170 people in raids linked to Nevruz celebrations over the past week on allegations of PKK propaganda, highlighting continued criminalization of Kurdish expression despite ongoing peace initiative efforts.
Freedom of Expression and Media
23 March: Turkish authorities have investigated at least 70 journalists under the 2022 disinformation law because its broad and vague provisions allow prosecutors to criminalize critical reporting as “false information,” leading to detentions, arrests and prosecutions.
26 March: Turkish authorities reblocked KHK TV’s YouTube and X accounts just months after a Constitutional Court ruling ordering their restoration.
Judicial Independence & Rule of Law
23 March: Prosecutors in Istanbul have sought up to 35 years in prison for jailed Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney on corruption-related charges and requested merging his case with the broader trial against İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
24 March: A Turkish appeals court dropped cases against public officials over the 2014 Soma mining disaster that killed 301 miners, citing the statute of limitations, effectively ending accountability proceedings against state authorities despite earlier findings of oversight failures.
25 March: Three land registry officials were arrested in Turkey for allegedly unlawfully accessing Justice Minister Akın Gürlek’s property records, in a politically sensitive investigation following opposition claims about his wealth.
25 March: Lawyers for Osman Kavala told the European Court of Human Rights that Turkey continues to detain him based on previously discredited evidence despite earlier rulings ordering his release, as the case was heard by the court’s Grand Chamber.
27 March: Turkish authorities detained Uşak Mayor Özkan Yalım and 10 others in a bribery investigation, part of an expanding legal crackdown targeting opposition CHP-run municipalities.
Kurdish Minority
27 March: Turkey’s Constitutional Court ruled that security forces violated the right to life and human dignity of Hacı Lokman Birlik, a Kurdish man killed in 2015 whose body was dragged behind an armored vehicle, in a case highlighting longstanding impunity concerns.
Prison Conditions
23 March: A CİSST report revealed worsening prison overcrowding in Turkey, with nearly 900 young children living behind bars with their mothers because of rising incarceration rates and limited alternatives to detention.
26 March: Bar associations in Turkey warned that the Justice Ministry’s new e-Avukat video call system risks violating confidentiality and fair trial rights because calls may be visually monitored and replace essential private, in-person lawyer-client meetings.
Torture and Ill-Treatment
26 March: The Human Rights Association called for the release of a 74-year-old seriously ill inmate, Mehmet Emin Çam, because his life-threatening conditions have worsened in prison despite repeated refusals to suspend his sentence based on disputed medical assessments.
27 March: Authorities in Turkey kept a severely ill prisoner, Mehmet Gürler, with advanced multiple sclerosis behind bars despite two forensic medical reports deeming him unfit for detention, after a prosecutor rejected his release citing public safety concerns.
Gender Rights
25 March: Turkey’s Health Ministry dismissed a transgender doctor despite a court-ordered reinstatement because of alleged “immorality” and social media activity, raising concerns over discrimination and disregard for judicial rulings.
