Turkey: Weaponizing Counterterrorism: Turkey exploits terrorism financing assessment to target civil society

The government of Turkey has exploited a 2019 Financial Action Task Force (FATF) assessment report to supplement its arsenal of counterterrorism laws, many of which are routinely used to target civil society organizations. This briefing paper highlights the numerous ways that the Turkish authorities historically have targeted civil society, including by harassment, investigation, prosecution and conviction on trumped up terrorism charges. Law No. 7262 is only the most recent tool in the Turkish government’s toolbox of counterterrorism measures. Amnesty International calls on FATF and other relevant interlocutors to ensure that Turkey’s responses to FATF assessments fully comply with FATF policy and more importantly, the country’s international human rights obligations.

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