International Reactions

Turkey, which has around 200 journalists jailed in its prisons, is ranked 155th among 180 countries in the 2017 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Wednesday. If Turkey falls four more ranks, it will make it to the list of the countries on the blacklist, which has the poorest record […]

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) placed Turkey on a monitoring watchlist for its bleak record of human rights violations and pressure on dissenting voices in the aftermath of the July 15 coup attempt, on Tuesday. Strasbourg-based PACE decided to reopen political monitoring of Turkey “until its concerns are addressed in a satisfactory

A letter written on Friday to Frederica Mogherini, EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, and Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, by a group of human rights and journalist organizations expresses concern about yet another extension of a state of emergency in Turkey, saying that “the far-reaching discretionary powers exercised by

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday called on Turkish authorities to release Italian writer Gabriele Del Grande, who was detained during a security check in the southern province of Hatay 12 days ago. “Turkish authorities should clarify Gabriele’s situation and ensure all his rights are respected. Most importantly, they should release him so he can

The Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee has announced that the Turkish government has not given permission for a report on Turkish prisons to be published. According to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), the findings gathered during visits to prisons in Turkey in 2016 will

Human Rights Watch (HRW), a US-based international nongovernmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights, said on Monday that Turkey’s government and president should reverse the decision to extend the state of emergency after winning the April 16 presidential referendum and end the wave of political repression unleashed in the months before the

Antonio Tajani, president of the European Parliament, on Monday expressed deep concerns about Turkey’s possible plans to hold a public referendum on the reinstatement of the death penalty, saying that such a move would be a red line for the EU. After claiming victory in a referendum that greatly expanded his powers, Turkish President Recep

Although economic, social and cultural rights can only be limited under a state of emergency in ways that respect the basic rights themselves, measures taken by the Turkish government are far from satisfying such criteria as the careers and livelihoods of tens of thousands of persons have been destroyed since July 15, according to United

Dutch officials are engaged in efforts to secure the return to the Netherlands of between 10 and 100 Dutch nationals of Turkish descent who are being prevented from leaving Turkey mainly due to their critical views of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government. Some of the stranded dual nationals