Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
21 May 2026 Daily Human Rights Report
(05/123) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from news reports published on May 20, 2026, that Tuğçenur Özbay, an inmate at the İzmir (Şakran) Women’s Closed Prison who has been on a hunger strike since January 29, 2026, in protest against the forced issuance of ID cards, has been denied visitation and phone privileges for the past six months.
It is learned from news reports published on May 21, 2026, that a dispute occurred between prison guards seeking to prevent the use of the Kurdish language during an open visit at Van F-Type Prison and the inmates; following the visit, an inmate named Selahattin Temel was subjected to physical violence by the prison guards.The reports also stated that another inmate was threatened with death by the prison’s deputy warden, who said, “We’ll kill you and bury your remains in such a place that no one will ever find you. Be smart; watch your step.”
(05/124) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Custody in Ankara…
It is learned from news reports published on May 20, 2026, that two individuals detained in connection with incidents that occurred during a concert held as part of the traditional Spring Festival at the Middle East Technical University (METU) were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment while in custody.
At a press conference on the matter, Attorney Doru Ninsu Arslan stated the following: “A gun was pointed at one of these students’ heads, and they were subjected to severe physical abuse. The female student reported that no female law enforcement officer was present during her detention, that she was struck on the head, sexually harassed during this time, and threatened with sexual assault. During our meeting at the police station, it was determined that the female student had visible bruises on her face and arms, and the male student had a swelling on his head.”
(05/125) A Person Subjected to Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Urfa…
It is learned from news reports published on May 20, 2026, that a man named Yakup Kimsesiz, who was stopped by police in the Haliliye district of Urfa on the grounds of driving without a license, was removed from the vehicle and subjected to torture and other ill-treatment. The reports also noted that the individual in question was arrested by the magistrate’s court to which he was referred.
(05/126) Interventions and Bans Targeting Pride Month Events…
It was reported that on May 20, 2026, police and private security units intervened using physical force at the Pride Picnic held on the campus of Ege University in Izmir, forcibly removing students from the picnic area and confiscating banners and rainbow flags displayed at the event.
(05/127) The Trial of the Party’s General Chairman…
The final hearing in the case filed against Özgür Özel, General Chairperson of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Member of Parliament for Manisa, at the Ankara Criminal Court of First Instance No. 32 regarding his statements about the President, was held on May 20, 2026. The court ordered Özgür Özel to pay 300,000 TL in moral damages.
(05/128) Investigation Launched Against Journalists in Istanbul…
It was reported that the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation against Sefer Selçuk Özbek and Gökay Başcan, the responsible editors-in-chief of BirGün Newspaper and the BirGün website, on the grounds of “insulting the President” due to a news article, and that the journalists gave their statements to the prosecutor’s office on May 20, 2026.
(05/129) Trial of a Political Party Executive in Istanbul…
The trial of Canan Kaftancıoğlu, former Istanbul Provincial Chair of the CHP, which was initiated at the Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance No. 53 based on a social media post she made, began on May 21, 2026. The indictment seeks to punish Canan Kaftancıoğlu for the crime of “insulting the President.” The court issued a warrant for her arrest since she did not attend the hearing and postponed the trial to September 15, 2026.
(05/130) Trial of Municipal Council Members and Municipal Officials in Istanbul…
Ten individuals, including two deputy mayors and seven municipal council members (Kartal Deputy Mayor Cemalettin Yüksel, Ataşehir Deputy Mayor Livan Gür, Üsküdar Municipal Council Member Bülent Kaygun, Sancaktepe Municipal Council Member Elif Gül, and Fatih Municipal Council Member Güzin Alparslan, Tuzla City Council Member Hasan Özdemir, Adalar City Council Member Nesimi Aday, Şişli City Council Member Sinan Gür, Beyoğlu City Council Member Turabi Şen, and a person named İkbal Polat) continued on May 21, 2026, at the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 23. The court adjourned the hearing until October 7, 2026.
The 10 individuals were taken into custody on February 11, 2025, and were arrested on February 13, 2025. One of the detainees was released at the first hearing of the case on September 18, 2025; seven were released at the hearing on November 27, 2025; and two were released at the hearing on February 18, 2026.
(05/131) Person on Trial in Kocaeli…
It was learned from news reports on May 20, 2026, that the court had acquitted a nurse named İkra Avcı, who had been detained and later released on judicial supervision for sharing a video on social media in which she braided her hair to protest attacks against Kurds in Syria, and who was subsequently suspended from her position.
(05/132) Books Subject to a Seizure Order…
It was learned from news reports on May 21, 2026, that the Tunceli Criminal Court of First Instance issued a decision prohibiting the printing, distribution, and sale of 7 books published by Ceylan Publications, Akademi Publications, Umut Publishing, and Varyos Publishing, and ordering the seizure of all copies.
- Books subject to the seizure order:
- Songs of Heroism (Muzaffer Oruçoğlu, Umut Publishing)
- The Dawn of Communism (Arif Çelebi, Akademi Publications)
- The Guide to Courage (Nazlı Gürbüz Top, Varyos Publishing)
- Our Çakır (Mukaddes Erdoğdu Çelik, Ceylan Publications)
- On Life (Kutsiye Bozoklar, Ceylan Publications)
- Materialist Philosophy (İbrahim Okçuoğlu, Ceylan Publications)
- On the Luminous Slopes of the Struggle (Serkan Günebakan, Ceylan Publications).
[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.
[2]To subscribe to the e-mail group: please write ‘daily human rights reports subscription application’ to the title of your e-mail and sent it to dokumantasyon@tihv.org.tr.
[3]https://www.facebook.com/TIHV.HRFT
[4] https://twitter.com/insanhaklari
[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.