New York, December 3, 2024 – The “Case of the Minor Girls” trial, held from September 23 to 27, 2024, at the İstanbul 24th High Criminal Court, has drawn international scrutiny to Türkiye’s judicial practices. The case involves 41 defendants—37 women and 4 men—charged under Article 314-2 of the Turkish Penal Code for alleged membership in an armed terrorist organization. Among the defendants are minors aged 13 to 17, whose treatment raises significant concerns about human rights violations and judicial independence.
Grave Violations of Children’s Rights Under Turkey’s Repressive Regime Post-2016 Coup
Introduction
A period in which justice was suspended began in Turkey on July 15, 2016. During this process, 952 individuals were identified as having lost their lives, 152,000 civil servants were dismissed, more than 500,000 people were arrested, and over 3,000 children were forced to grow up in prison with their mothers. According to the latest official figures, 552 children are still in prison with their mothers. Problems such as job loss, deprivation of liberty, ostracization by the state and society, exclusion, and condemnation to absolute poverty have caused the disintegration of thousands of families.
Call to action for detention of minors in Istanbul, Turkey – 8/19/2024
ISTANBUL, MAY 7, 2024 – A CONTROVERSIAL OPERATION RESULTS IN THE DETENTION OF MINORS
We urge human rights activists, journalists, politicians, and lawyers to attend the trial on September 23, 2024, at the Istanbul 24th High Criminal Court to monitor the legal process and help bring global attention to this case.
Echoes of Justice: 100 Kahoot Questions on Human Rights
The Kahoot competitions we organize every month to raise awareness among young people about human rights violations worldwide and in Turkey have reached over 10,000 views on YouTube globally.
Freedom Convention on Turkey 2023
The Freedom Convention Turkey 2023 will shed light on critical issues that have garnered international attention in Turkey addressing the democratic backslide, collapse of the rule of law, abuse of anti-terror laws, ramifications of restricted freedom of expression and multifold dwindling human rights.
Advocates of Silenced Turkey Commemorate Victims in Heartfelt Event
In a recent event held on Thursday, September 17th, the Advocates of Silenced Turkey (AST) organized an event titled ‘Yiten Canlara Vefa’, ‘Loyalty to Lost Lives’ at the New Jersey Baymont by Wyndham Hotel.
Justice Delayed is Justice Denied
PROLOGUE
This book is based on long-term observations, social events and what is being done to address human rights violations. It tries to be the voice of people whose rights are taken away, who are silenced and sent to prison in today’s Turkey. It tries to be the cry of silenced journalists. It touches upon the stories of lost lives. It reveals important neglects regarding minorities once again. It leaves a note in history as an archive.
KAHRAMANMARAŞ DEPREMLERİNDE İNSAN HAKLARI İHLALLERİ ÖN RAPORU 2023
Türkiye, dünyanın en aktif deprem kuşaklarından birisi üzerinde bulunmaktadır. Yakın tarih incelendiğinde, büyük depremler olarak 1939 Erzincan, 1941 Van-Erciş, 1946 Varto, 1967 Adapazarı, 1971 Bingöl, 1976 Denizli, 1992 Erzincan, 1995 Dinar, 1998 Ceyhan ve 1999 Marmara ve Düzce, 2003 Bingöl, 2011 Van, 2020 Elazığ ve 2021 İzmir depremleri kaydedilmiştir. Türkiye’de depremlere yönelik bir hazırlık ve planlama yapılması amacıyla, 1945 (Yersarsıntısı Bölgeleri Haritası), 1947, 1963 (Türkiye Deprem Bölgeleri Haritası), 1972, 1996 ve 2019 (Türkiye Deprem Tehlike Haritası) yıllarında deprem bölgeleri haritaları hazırlanmış ve geliştirilerek 6 kez güncellenmiştir. Bu kapsamda, bölgesel çalışmalar yapılmış ve örneğin 2020 yılında AFAD tarafından hazırlanan Kahramanmaraş İl Afet Riski Azaltma Planı ile depreme yönelik bir hazırlık öngörüsü geliştirilmiştir.
Advocates of Silenced Turkey Report 2022
When the Turkish President declared in an infamous speech that “Old Turkey no longer exists. This Turkey is new Turkey”, the story of Turkish authoritarianism had once and for all taken on a new character. Since July of 2016, the Turkish government has improperly imprisoned 160,000+ homemakers, teachers, NGO workers, academics, judges, prosecutors and journalists.
Freedom Convention 2022
Since the failed coup attempt in 2016, Turkish government has been carrying out profound human rights violations against hundreds of thousands of people – from arbitrary deprivation of the right to work and to freedom of movement, to torture and other ill-treatment, arbitrary detentions and infringements of the rights to freedom of association and expression.
AST, deeply concerned about Turkey’s government’s disregard of human rights, has been organizing The Freedom Convention since 2020. Remarking on the international covenants, of which Turkey is a state party, this year the convention will address the arbitrary deprivation of civil and political rights and crack down on freedom of expression in Turkey.
