PRISONERS OF
CONSCIENCE
Profiles of individuals unjustly imprisoned for their beliefs, journalism, or peaceful dissent.
A Growing Human Rights Crisis
Turkey continues to experience widespread detentions of journalists, educators, civil servants, businesspeople, and ordinary citizens for peaceful civic engagement or alleged affiliations that lack credible evidence. Many face prolonged pretrial detention, restricted access to legal counsel, or politically motivated charges that violate international human rights standards.
The individuals listed on this page are recognized as prisoners of conscience — people deprived of their liberty for expressing ideas, participating in civil society, or upholding humanitarian values.
NCCA documents these cases, provides verified information to policymakers and human rights institutions, and advocates for their release.
At a Glance
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Documented cases involving unlawful or politically motivated detentions
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Individuals include teachers, journalists, academics, civil servants, businesspeople, and parents
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Many face extended pretrial detention, limited legal access, and charges lacking credible evidence
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Case details are verified through open-source records, legal documents, international reporting, and family testimonies
Understanding the Pattern of Repression
2016
Mass arrests and widespread dismissals begin following the failed coup attempt, marking a dramatic escalation in politically motivated detentions.
2017 - 2020
Charges expand to include educators, journalists, faith-inspired civil society members, and public servants. Many face prolonged pretrial detention and broad terrorism-related accusations.
2021 - Present
New arrests continue, appeals in long-running cases persist, and due process concerns remain a central issue. Individuals across multiple professions continue to be detained or restricted.
Since 2013, and especially since the 2016 coup attempt, the Turkish government has engaged in widespread human rights violations under the pretext of counterterrorism. Nearly 2 million people have been charged with terrorism-related offenses, many without credible evidence or due process. Reports from international organizations, including the U.S. State Department, Freedom House, and the World Justice Project, highlight Turkey’s deteriorating rule of law, mass detentions, and systemic suppression of dissent. In the 2025 Rule of Law Index, Turkey ranks 118th out of 142 countries, reflecting serious concerns over the erosion of judicial independence and civil liberties.
The Gulen Movement, inspired by Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, is a globally respected faith-based civil society initiative promoting education, interfaith
dialogue, and humanitarian efforts. According to the 2022 U.S. State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights and Terrorism, the movement is not designated as a terrorist organization in the United States or anywhere else in the world. However, the Turkish government continues to detain and arrest Turkish citizens and foreign nationals residing in Turkey for alleged ties to the movement, often relying on scant evidence and minimal due process.
Fethullah Gulen has dedicated his life to interfaith dialogue, education, and peace-building. He was the first prominent Muslim leader to publicly condemn the 9/11 attacks and has long been recognized by Christian and Jewish leaders for his contributions to interfaith cooperation. His humanitarian work and commitment to democracy earned him global recognition, including ranking among the Top 100 Public Intellectuals by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines in 2008. Despite this, the Erdogan regime labeled him a terrorist solely for his pro-democracy stance and opposition to Erdogan’s authoritarian policies.
Turkey is also among the leading countries engaging in transnational repression. The U.S. State Department’s reports confirm that since 2016, Turkey has forcibly transferred over 100 Turkish nationals from abroad and subjected more than 40 individuals to abduction, rendition, and forcible return. The Turkish government has coordinated with authoritarian states to conduct these operations, targeting individuals with alleged ties to the Gulen Movement.
The 2022 U.S. State Department Country Reports on Terrorism further confirm that since 2016, Turkey has engaged in mass dismissals and arrests under terrorism-related accusations. More than 60,000 police and military personnel, over 4,000 judges and prosecutors, and more than 95,000 citizens have been arrested or imprisoned, while over 1,500 NGOs have been shut down. These measures reflect the Turkish government’s continued use of anti-terror laws as a tool for political persecution.
Prison conditions in Turkey remain dire, with widespread reports of overcrowding, ill-treatment, and denial of medical care. Priority cases of prisoners of conscience highlight the systematic targeting of dissidents, with cases presented before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the United Nations (UN). One such case is former General Akın Ozturk, whose continued imprisonment has drawn international condemnation. The UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that Ozturk was denied a fair trial, subjected to mistreatment, and convicted based on flawed proceedings, calling for his immediate release and compensation.
Additionally, Turkey has intensified its crackdown on digital freedoms, frequently blocking or restricting social media accounts of activists, journalists, and independent news outlets. Reports from Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net and the U.S. State Department document Turkey’s systematic efforts to control online discourse and suppress dissenting voices.
Several international indices further illustrate Turkey’s governance challenges:
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Corruption Perceptions Index 2023: Turkey scored 34 out of 100, ranking 115th out of 180 countries, indicating a significant perception of public sector corruption.
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Freedom in the World 2023: Turkey was rated “Not Free” with an overall score of 32 out of 100, reflecting severe restrictions on political rights and civil liberties.
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Press Freedom Index 2023: Turkey ranked 165th out of 180 countries, highlighting the country’s oppressive environment for journalists and media outlets.
This report compiles key findings from major international organizations, including the U.S. State Department, Freedom House, Transparency International, and the United Nations, providing a comprehensive overview of Turkey’s human rights crisis, transnational repression, and the abuse of counterterrorism laws for political purposes.
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Nature of the Operations
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Operations targeting the Hizmet (Gülen) Movement in Turkey are still ongoing.
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In recent years, these operations are increasingly seen not as a pursuit of justice but as actions driven by a sense of revenge.
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Women, children, the elderly, and even mothers with babies are being detained; basic human rights are being violated.
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While much of society remains silent, victims often need international support to make their voices heard.
Human Rights Violations and Civil Death
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People alleged to be linked with the Hizmet (Gülen) Movement are effectively prevented from finding jobs and participating in working life.
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Fundamental rights such as the right to education, housing, freedom of travel, and social solidarity are portrayed as “crimes.”
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Those who were children in 2015—today aged 18–20—are now targets of investigations and prosecutions.
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This process has profoundly affected a generation’s life and turned into a form of societal “civil death.”
Societal Response
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From the beginning, many segments who remained silent out of fear or offered support now find the practices touching children and innocents unacceptable. Yet they cannot raise their voices.
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Human rights organizations, lawyers, and international observers emphasize that this process in Turkey must be addressed within the context of the erosion of judicial independence and the violation of fundamental rights.
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Prisoners suffering from critical and chronic illnesses in Turkey are subjected to conditions that gravely endanger their lives and violate fundamental human rights. Despite clear medical reports and international human rights obligations, courts frequently deny requests for the deferral of sentences or release on health grounds. Many of these prisoners endure overcrowded, unsanitary conditions without adequate access to medical care, resulting in preventable suffering and, in some cases, death.
These individuals—often elderly, disabled, or battling life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, advanced heart disease, and multiple sclerosis—are forced to rely on fellow inmates for basic needs and endure treatment that amounts to cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment. Their continued imprisonment not only strips them of their dignity but also disregards the principle of the right to life, the most fundamental of all human rights.
By highlighting the stories of critically ill prisoners, this section underscores the urgent need for justice, compassion, and compliance with both domestic and international legal standards. These cases are not isolated tragedies; they reflect systemic failures that demand immediate attention and reform.
Despite lacking legal grounds for detention, numerous pregnant women and new mothers have been arrested purely out of prejudice and hostility. The justifications for their detention often consist of vague and standardized reasons unsupported by concrete evidence.
The Turkish Ministry of Justice has not consistently shared public data on how many pregnant women or mothers with children have been detained or imprisoned as part of the post-July 15 investigations targeting the Hizmet (Gülen) Movement, which have affected millions. Most of the available data comes from responses to parliamentary questions or statements made to pro-government media outlets, making it difficult to obtain reliable statistics. Assessments have therefore been based on open-source information.
According to the Ministry of Justice’s 2016 Activity Report, 529 children aged 0-6 were living in prisons with their mothers at that time. Data submitted by the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses to the Turkish Parliament’s Human Rights Investigation Commission on November 14, 2018, showed that as of 2018, 743 children were living in prisons with their mothers. Of these, 543 were aged 0-3, and 200 were aged 4-6. Furthermore, 37 of the 543 infants were under six months old.
According to information provided by the General Directorate of Prisons to Anadolu Agency, the number of children living with their mothers in prisons was 780 in 2019. Due to adjustments made to the penal system during the pandemic in 2021, the number of children living with their mothers in prisons decreased to 345. As of March 1, 2023, data from the Ministry of Justice indicated that 396 children were residing in prisons with their mothers.
According to a parliamentary question response, as of May 30, 2024, there were 488 women imprisoned alongside their spouses for terrorism-related charges, and 706 children living in prisons with their mothers.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in its March 2018 report covering January-December 2017, expressed concern over the arrest of women shortly before or after childbirth, estimating that nearly 600 women had been detained with their young children.
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) sets a standard that children should not be born in prison, a principle widely recognized. However, as statistical data shows, the number of children entering prison with their mothers has significantly increased following the July 15 coup attempt and the subsequent crackdown.
Under the policies of the Erdogan regime, hundreds of innocent children are imprisoned with their mothers as part of operations and hate-driven campaigns targeting the Gulen Movement. These practices starkly contradict international human rights standards, leaving vulnerable children to suffer the consequences of these discriminatory policies.
There are individuals who are consciously abandoned to their deaths in prisons. Critically ill and elderly prisoners must be immediately released, as they are dying in
sequence within the system. These deaths can be examined through statistics and personal stories.
According to data from the Civil Society in the Penal System Association (CİSST), the number of detainees and convicts who died in prisons was:
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2019: 107 deaths
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2020: 95 deaths
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2021: 128 deaths
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2022: 101 deaths
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2023: 108 deaths
Between 2018 and July 24, 2023, a total of 2,258 detainees and convicts lost their lives in prisons.
These figures highlight the urgent need for reforms and humane treatment for prisoners, especially those who are critically ill or elderly.
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