22-28 June 2026
Arbitrary Detention and Arrest
Throughout the week, prosecutors ordered the detention of at least 22 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
25 June: Turkey faced criticism for imposing sweeping security measures ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, including a 13-day protest ban.
28 June: Turkish police detained at least 50 people, including a journalist, during İstanbul’s banned Pride march as authorities intensified restrictions on LGBT events and related activities.
Freedom of Expression and Media
22 June: Turkish authorities blocked access to 57 X accounts belonging to women’s and LGBTI+ rights organizations ahead of İstanbul Pride Week, prompting criticism that the restrictions violate freedom of expression and association.
22 June: A proposed media bill in Turkey would restore sanctioning powers to the Press Advertisement Agency, prompting opposition warnings that it would enable renewed pressure on independent media despite a Constitutional Court ruling limiting such authority.
24 June: Several Turkish media outlets were denied accreditation to cover the 2026 NATO summit in Ankara, prompting criticism over the exclusion of independent journalists.
27 June: Turkish authorities blocked access to X posts featuring clips from comedian Deniz Göktaş’s show, citing national security and public order concerns after criticism from a ruling party figure over jokes about President Erdoğan.
Human Rights Defenders
24 June: UN special rapporteurs raised concerns that Turkey prosecuted, detained and subjected two female environmental defenders to judicial harassment in apparent retaliation for their peaceful environmental advocacy and exercise of freedom of expression.
Judicial Independence & Rule of Law
23 June: The European Court of Human Rights found violations of the rights to a fair trial and the principle of “no punishment without law” in 893 additional applications concerning terrorism convictions based on alleged links to the Gülen movement, reaffirming its established case law following the Yalçınkaya judgment.
23 June: Two CHP district mayors, Ali Ercan Akpolat of İstanbul’s Adalar district and Mustafa Turgut of Mersin’s Silifke district, were arrested in separate investigations alleging corruption and abuse of office, bringing the number of opposition CHP mayors in pretrial detention to 23.
27 June: A Turkish court ordered the pretrial detention of 178 people, including journalists, academics, lawyers and environmental volunteers, in a sweeping operation ahead of the NATO summit.
Kurdish Minority
22 June: A Turkish court sentenced former mayor and Kurdish women’s rights advocate Ayşe Gökkan to more than 19 years in prison on terrorism-related charges following a retrial.
Refugees and Migrants
27 June: A BBC investigation reported allegations that Turkish border forces beat, robbed and forcibly returned Afghan migrants in freezing conditions near the Iranian border, leaving 11 people with amputations and at least 20 others reportedly dead, claims the Turkish government denies.
Torture and Ill-Treatment
26 June: Human rights groups reported that torture, police violence and prison abuse remained widespread in Turkey, documenting at least 2,019 alleged cases of ill-treatment during peaceful protests in the first five months of 2026 amid persistent impunity and worsening prison conditions.
Transnational Repression
26 June: PACE adopted a resolution naming Turkey among the world’s top 10 perpetrators of transnational repression, citing allegations of cross-border abductions, surveillance, attacks on exiled journalists and misuse of international legal mechanisms to target government critics abroad.
Gender Rights
23 June: Turkish authorities detained journalist and LGBTQ rights advocate Yıldız Tar in Ankara ahead of a court hearing.
