Rights groups raise red flags over human rights issues in Turkey

WhatsAppWhatsAppFacebookFacebookTwitterTwitterPinterestPinterestRedditRedditGmailGmailShareShare

TurkeyTurkey Turkey – International as well as domestic human rights groups have blared warning siren over rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Turkey, just as Ankara is enjoying its popular position amid the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. International human rights watchdog Amnesty International has addressed the widespread human rights violations by the country’s judicial framework.

A report by Amnesty International for year 2021-22 was released on Monday, reading that in Turkey “Deep flaws in the judicial system were not addressed. Opposition politicians, journalists, human rights defenders and others faced baseless investigations, prosecutions and convictions”.

Many actions and decisions taken by Turkey in year 2021 – the year described by Amnesty as “a story of betrayal and hypocrisy in the corridors of power” – have been red flagged by the rights group as Ankara’s one of worst moment in the year 2021. These include Turkey’s decision of withdrawing from Istanbul Convention, a pan European accord that requires its signatories to prevent and punish those accused and found guilty of domestic violence.

Related Posts

Report by Amnesty has also highlighted multiple high profile human rights cases of 2021 that also went on into this year. One such case is ‘push for closure’ of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) – the political movement of Kurdish people and the third largest party in Parliament of Turkey. Dozens of members of HDP were banned from politics. Report points out that four-year prison sentence of Selahattin Demirtas, the HDP’s former co-chair, was over accusation of “making propaganda for a terrorist organization.”

Another report called the Annual Media Monitoring Report 2021, has also raised a red flag on the freedom of expression and freedoms for media in Turkey. “In 2021, 241 journalists stood trial, 73 journalists were detained, a radio broadcaster was killed and 115 journalists were physically attacked,” read the report by Ankara based Association of Journalists under Media for Democracy Project.

“Over one-third of journalists we have interviewed have been arrested, prosecuted or have an ongoing trial,” said Kenan Sener, secretary-general of the association and the co-author of the report. “Journalists or anyone with a critical stance toward the government were obstructed with smear campaigns both online or by pro-government media or online threats. More concerningly, such threats were then turned into physical attacks.” “Despite the fall in the number of journalists behind bars since 2016, Turkey still has the highest number of imprisoned journalists,” Sener said. After unsuccessful coup attempt in year 2016 in Turkey, 158 journalists were jailed.

About G.Morrison

Discover the world of workers' rights through the lens of G. Morrison. With a commitment to unbiased reporting, G. Morrison crafts narratives that unveil the human stories behind labor struggles, advocating for a fair and just global workplace.

G.Morrison

Discover the world of workers' rights through the lens of G. Morrison. With a commitment to unbiased reporting, G. Morrison crafts narratives that unveil the human stories behind labor struggles, advocating for a fair and just global workplace.

Recent Posts

Malaysia Launches AI-Powered MyLabourHub to Bridge Job Skills Gap

The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) has officially launched MyLabourHub, an AI-enabled platform that will integrate different labour market data…

May 27, 2025

Indonesia Faces Layoff Crisis: 70,000 Jobs Lost, Unions Call for National Strike

Indonesia is currently dealing with a wave of layoffs, with more than 70,000 workers terminated in the first four months…

May 27, 2025

Volvo to Cut 3,000 Jobs as EV Market Slows and Industry Faces Uncertainty

Volvo Cars has revealed its intention to reduce about 3,000 jobs, mostly among white-collar workers, as demand for electric vehicles…

May 27, 2025

UK Launches GBP 3 Billion Skills Plan to Train Workers and Reduce Migrant Dependence

The government of the UK has unveiled a GBP 3 billion training program for 120,000 British workers aimed at reducing…

May 27, 2025

Telangana Becomes First State to Offer INR 1 Cr Accident Insurance for Power Sector Workers

The Telangana government's innovative effort will be etched in history as a landmark day for the welfare of workers as…

May 26, 2025

Who Is Suresh Kumar? The Indian Tech Chief Behind Walmart’s 1,500 Layoffs

Walmart’s announcement of 1,500 technology layoffs has generated a lot of debate, particularly about Chief Technology Officer and Indian-origin, Suresh…

May 26, 2025