Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
4 September 2025 Daily Human Rights Report
(09/024) Person Subjected to Torture and Other Ill-Treatment by Police in Tunceli…
According to news reports on September 3, 2025, it was learned that a person named Muharrem Batar in Tunceli was subjected to physical violence by traffic police officers with whom he had argued on the grounds that he was riding his motorcycle in the wrong direction.
Muharrem Batar’s statement in the press reportedly stated the following: “I went to the traffic police who called me over. They told me they would take legal action against me for driving on the sidewalk in the wrong direction. They asked for my driver’s license. I asked them to write down the license plate number. I did not give them my driver’s license. I stopped the motorcycle. I took the items inside to take them to the restaurant. I was going to leave the motorcycle there and leave. The traffic police officers grabbed my arm and wouldn’t let me go (…) A scuffle started between us. I asked them to let go of my arm. They didn’t let go. In a moment of reflex, I headbutted the police officer holding my arm. They then pinned me to the ground and handcuffed me. They twisted my arm while handcuffing me.”
(09/025) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Prison…
According to news reports on September 3, 2025, a 52-page letter written by prisoners held in Izmir Type F Prison No. 1, containing writings and drawings related to the 2013 Gezi Events, was censored on the grounds that “it referred to the Gezi Park events and used the term ‘martyr’ for members of a terrorist organization who died during illegal actions
News reports on September 4, 2025, revealed that inmates at Van High Security Prison were only allowed a maximum of 3 hours of conversation time per week, instead of the required 10 hours, and that some books and magazines were not given to inmates despite there being no decision to confiscate or ban them. The news also stated that disciplinary investigations had been launched against prisoners who participated in a one-week hunger strike demanding the closure of Y and S type prisons, and that as part of the investigation, prisoners were punished by being banned from activities.
(09/026) Prisoners Denied Access to Healthcare in Prison…
According to news reports on September 3, 2025, it was learned that at the Van High Security Prisonprisoners were put in single person sections during their transfers to hospital and those who refuse this twere not transferred to the hospital.
(09/027) Prisoners Whose Release Was Adjourned by the Prison Administration and Observation Board…
According to news reports on September 3, 2025, it was learned that the release of two prisoners, Ahmet Abdi İbrahim and Hüseyin Akbaş, who were held in Bolu Type Prison and had completed their prison sentences, was adjourned by the Prison Administration and Observation Board (CİGK). The news reported that Ahmet Abdi İbrahim’s release had been adjourned for the fourth time. It was not learned how long the releases had been adjourned.
News reports on September 4, 2025, stated that the release of three prisoners, Mervan Demirtaş, Mahmut Kaygan, and Nurşen Tekin, who were being held at the Antalya Manavgat S-Type Prison and had completed their prison sentences, had been adjourned by the Prison Administration and Observation Board (CİGK) on the grounds that they were “not remorseful.” The news report stated that Mervan Demirtaş’s release was adjourned for the fourth time for a period of six months, Mahmut Kaygan’s release was adjourned for the fourth time for a period of three months, and Nurşen Tekin’s release was adjourned for a period of three months.
(09/028) Party Member Arrested in Istanbul…
According to news reports on September 3, 2025, Serkan Okatan, a member of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) who was detained in Istanbul, was arrested by the magistrate’s court on August 29, 2025.
(09/029) Person Detained in Bursa…
Ercan Deyerli, a member of the Revolutionary Forces of Youth (Dev-Güç), was detained in Bursa on September 4, 2025, on allegations of making propaganda of illorganization on social media.
(09/030) Journalist and Individuals on Trial in Istanbul…
Thirty-five individuals, including journalist Engin Deniz İpek, 13 of whom are in custody, are being tried in the 64th Heavy Penal Court of Istanbul on charges related to protests held on July 1, 2025, in Saraçhane Square in the Fatih district of Istanbul, marking the 100th day since the arrest and detention of the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The trial commenced on September 3, 2024 at the Heavy Penal Court. The indictment seeks punishment for the 35 individuals on charges of “violating Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” and “insulting the President.” The court decided to release 13 detainees on all charges against them, to continue the detention of 7 individuals on charges of “insulting the President,” and adjourned the hearing until September 19, 2025.
(09/031) Trial of Political Party Leader in Istanbul…
The trial of Hüseyin Baş, leader of the Great Turkey Party, began on September 4, 2025, at the Istanbul 11th Criminal Court of First Instance, based on a statement he made. The indictment seeks punishment for Hüseyin Baş on charges of “insulting the President.” The court ruled to lift the travel ban and the requirement to sign in as conditions of judicial control for Hüseyin Baş and adjourned the hearing to January 15, 2026.
(09/032) Trial of Lawyers in Istanbul…
The trial of seven lawyers of Çağdaş Hukukçular Derneği (ÇHD) who were detained on 22 February 2019 in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, to raise awareness of the hunger strike of lawyers in prison was heard on September 4, 2025, at the Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance No. 46. The indictment seeks to punish the lawyers for “violating Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” and “resisting to prevent the performance of duty.” The court adjourned the hearing to January 27, 2026.
(09/033) Phobic and Discriminatory Statement by Union President…
The following discriminatory and phobic statements were made by Celaleddin Gül, President of the Spiritual, Principled, and Merit-Based Religious Affairs and Foundations Workers’ Union (Mil-Diyanet Sen), in a statement to the press on September 3, 2025: “The Ministry’s response does not change the fact that LGBT imposition is contrary to the beliefs, morals, and values of our society. The Ministry has stated that, according to the legislation, decisions regarding the closure of such associations can only be made by judicial authorities. (…) We see it as our raison d’être to be the voice of our nation by bringing the issue to the relevant courts and to protect public order, morality, and our national values. We will not allow these treasonous networks to operate under the guise of associations!”
Mil-Diyanet Sen had organized a petition campaign for the closure of LGBT+ associations. The ministry responded to the union, which submitted the collected signatures to the Ministry of Interior, stating that “decisions regarding the closure of associations and the suspension of their activities can only be made by judicial authorities, and complaints regarding the closure of the associations in question should be submitted to the court.”
(09/034) Discriminatory and Phobic Statement by a Political Party Leader…
According to news reports on August 4, 2025, Eyyüp Kadir İnan, Secretary General of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and a MP of İzmir, made the following phobic and discriminatory statements during a speech at an event organized by his party in Van: “What is being imposed on the world today? Is LGBT advocacy being imposed? Is there a campaign for this everywhere? Yes, there is. Are we objecting to this? We are.”
(09/035) Concert Cancelled in Istanbul…
It has been learned that a concert by French singer Enrico Macias, scheduled to take place on September 5, 2025, at the Cemil Topuzlu Harbiye Open-Air Theater in the Şişli district of Istanbul, has been cancelled by decision of the Istanbul Governor’s Office.
In its statement, the Governor’s Office also banned all concerts, demonstrations, press conferences, sit-ins, and similar events at the Cemil Topuzlu Harbiye Open-Air Theater and its surroundings for one day starting September 5, 2025.
[1]The reports on the human rights violations of the Documentation Center are claims unless they are certified. The claim of violation either is certified through thoroughly investigations of HRFT Documentation Center, including by judicial verdicts, and becomes a definite data or it is not included to the annual report.
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[5] Daily Human Rights Reports are prepared on the information gathered by the Documentation Center from its own network and the following dailies and internet portals: Vatan, Milliyet, Hürriyet, Habertürk, Evrensel, Birgün, Cumhuriyet, Fırat Haber Ajansı, Jinnews, ETHA, Mezopotamya Ajansı, Yurt, Yeni Yaşam, NTV, Yeni Asya, Bianet, Halkinsesi.tv, Cnnturk, Tr724, İleri Haber, Siyasi Haber, Alınteri, Kızılbayrak, Sendika.org, Yüksekova Haber, T24, Diken, Gazete Karınca, Gazete Duvar. Haber Sol, El Cezire, BBC, Deutsche Welle, Reuters, AFP.