Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
31 October – 2 November 2026 Daily Human Rights Report
(11/001) Operations and Attacks…
The Ministry of National Defence (MSB) announced that one soldier (contract soldier Yusuf Sait Ünlü) was killed on 31 October 2026 as a result of gunfire directed at security forces who intervened against a group reported to have been attempting to enter Turkey illegally in the rural area of the Yüksekova district of Hakkari.
(10/002) Person Subjected to Torture and Other Ill-Treatment at a Deportation Centre in Erzurum…
According to press reports on 30 October 2026, it was learned that a person named Ziynet Sağlam, who was detained at the exit of Erzincan Women’s Prison after being released and taken to the Erzurum Aşkale Deportation Centre despite being a citizen of the Republic of Turkey, was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment whilst in custody and at the deportation centre to which she was taken. It was reported that Ziynet Sağlam was released after being held at the deportation centre for two days.
In her statement published in the press, Ziynet Sağlam described the torture and other ill-treatment as follows: “On the day I was released, the area in front of the prison was full of soldiers and police. They handcuffed me straight away and took me to the police station. There, they took my fingerprints; I was treated as if I hadn’t been released but had just been arrested. They interrogated me again (…) After my statement was taken at the police station, my hands were handcuffed once more and I was taken back to the deportation centre. (…) They made me take off my shoes and I was forced to wear slippers. Later, they wanted to carry out a strip search, but I refused. Female gendarmes took me inside and forcibly carried out a strip search. They took the medication I had been taking for years, saying, ‘Come whenever you like and we’ll give it to you’ (…) The taps are broken; there’s no facility to have a bath – there isn’t even a tap with running water.”
(11/003) Prisoner Whose Release Was Adjourned by the Prison Administration and Observation Board…
According to news reports published on 30 October 2026, it was learned that the release of Mahmut Altığ, a prisoner held at Kırşehir High-Security Prison who had completed his life sentence on 3 February 2026, was adjourned for a period of six months by the Prison Administration and Observation Board (CİGK) on 3 August 2026.
Mahmut Altığ’s release had previously been adjourned once for a period of six months.
(11/004) Police Intervention at a Protest in İzmir…
On 30 October 2026, in the Konak district of İzmir, police intervened in a march organised by university students seeking to march to the Dokuz Eylül University Rectorate building to demand the right to quality, free food and accommodation, and detained 12 people.
(11/005) Journalist Detained in İzmir…
Yiğit Uzun, a writer for Diriliş Postası, was detained in Izmir on 1 November 2026 on the charge of “publicly disseminating misleading information to the public”. It was reported that digital materials belonging to the journalist were seized during a search of his home.
(11/006) Newspaper Owner Detained in Istanbul…
Umut Güner, the owner of Dünya Gazetesi, was detained in Istanbul on 1 November 2026 as part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding a funding crisis. He was released the same day by the magistrates’ court to which he was referred, subject to judicial control measures including house arrest and a ban on travelling abroad.
(11/007) Deputy Mayor and Others Detained in Istanbul…
Of the 63 people detained on 27 October 2026 as part of an investigation into the Bakırköy Municipality in Istanbul, 39 – including deputy mayors – were arrested by the magistrates’ court to which they were referred on 31 October 2026 on charges of “tender fraud”, “extortion”, whilst 18 were released subject to judicial supervision. Six others had been released following their statements to the prosecution.
(11/008) Mayor and Others Detained in Denizli…
As part of an investigation into the Merkezefendi Municipality in Denizli, five of the 27 individuals detained on 27 October 2026 – including Mayor Şeniz Doğan – were remanded in custody on 31 October 2026 by the magistrates’ court to which they were referred on charges of “bribery”, “extortion”, “bid-rigging”, whilst 22 others – including 15 subject to judicial supervision – were released.
(11/009) Person Detained in Istanbul…
Poet and theatre artist Tekin Ağacık, whose asylum application was rejected by Estonia and who was subsequently extradited to Turkey, was detained on 30 October 2026 at Istanbul Airport on the grounds of 18 separate investigations opened against him on charges of “membership of an organisation”, “spreading organisation propaganda” and “insulting the President”, on the grounds of 18 separate investigations opened against him, he was detained and referred to the magistrates’ court on the same day, and released subject to judicial supervision and a travel ban.
(11/010) The Trial of a Journalist in Tunceli…
The trial of Yusuf Çelik, a reporter for the Özgür Gelecek newspaper, continued on 2 November 2026 at the Tunceli Heavy Penal Court No. 1. The case was initiated on the grounds of books sold at a stall set up during the Munzur Culture and Nature Festival held in Tunceli in July 2025. The indictment seeks the journalist’s conviction on the charge of “knowingly and willingly aiding an organisation”. The court adjourned the hearing until 10 December 2026.
(11/011) Social Media Accounts and Games Subject to Access Restrictions…
According to news reports published on 31 October 2026, it was learned that the website https://yeniyasamgazetesi9.com/, belonging to the Yeni Yaşam newspaper, had been blocked by a decision of the Istanbul 10th Magistrates’ Court dated 31 October 2026, on the grounds of protecting national security and public order. With this blocking decision, this marks the tenth time that access to the websites belonging to the Yeni Yaşam newspaper has been blocked since 5 March 2019.
According to news reports on 1 November 2026, it was learned that an access ban had been imposed on an X social media account named ‘Millet Şahidimdir’, which had shared excerpts from the book of the same name written by the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
[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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[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.