Human Rights Watch: World Report 2026 – Turkey
Human Rights Watch, February 2026
Overview
Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2026 reviews major human rights developments in Turkey during 2025. The report describes a continued authoritarian trajectory, highlighting intensified pressure on the political opposition, restrictions on peaceful protest and expression, politically motivated prosecutions, and continued government influence over the judiciary.
Key Findings
The report highlights:
Political Opposition: Human Rights Watch highlights intensified legal pressure on the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), including the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and other opposition officials.
Judicial Independence: The report states that the government continues to exercise significant influence over domestic courts and remains in noncompliance with binding judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.
Freedom of Expression: Journalists, public figures, and social-media users continue to face prosecution and detention for criticism of the government and judiciary. HRW reported that 27 journalists and media workers were in pretrial detention or serving sentences at the time of writing.
Freedom of Assembly: Hundreds of people, many of them students, were detained during protests following Imamoglu’s arrest and faced prosecution for participating in demonstrations.
Hizmet Movement-Related Prosecutions: According to figures cited by HRW, investigations involving approximately 58,000 people and trials involving 24,000 remained ongoing as of July 2025. A total of 11,640 people accused of links to the Hizmet Movement remained imprisoned, while new investigations and arrests continued during the year.
Human Rights Defenders and Lawyers: Lawyers and rights advocates continued to face judicial harassment and detention, particularly in politically sensitive cases.
Torture and Ill-Treatment: The report documents allegations of police abuse and ill-treatment during arrest and detention and notes persistent concerns over impunity.
Why It Matters
Human Rights Watch’s 2026 assessment shows that concerns over judicial independence, political participation, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and arbitrary detention remain systemic in Turkey. The findings reinforce the need for accountability, compliance with international human rights obligations, and stronger protections for democratic institutions and fundamental freedoms.
Tags
Turkey · Human Rights · Human Rights Watch · Rule of Law · Democracy · Judicial Independence · Freedom of Expression · Hizmet Movement
Comments