Turkey: No security without human rights

This report assesses the human rights situation in Turkey since 1990 in the context of intense political violence and impunity. It shows that torture or ill-treatment continue to be routinely inflicted on people detained for common criminal offences as well as on political charges. “Disappearance” and extrajudicial execution appeared in the early 1990s as a new pattern of violation and have since claimed hundreds of lives. Freedom of expression is curtailed as scores of prisoners of conscience have served terms of imprisonment for expressing their non-violent opinions and hundreds more are being tried in State Security Courts and threatened with imprisonment because they dared to express their political views. The international community’s role is examined and its failure to take action. It is believed that given sufficient political will the human rights situation could be improved and this report makes such recommendations to the government, the international community and armed opposition groups.

Choose a language to view report

Download PDF