1. HRFT has been providing treatment and rehabilitation services to torture survivors and their relatives since 1990. This report presents HRFT’s assessment of Turkey’s implemented of recommendations received during the first UPR cycle within our main areas of work.
2. Along with a history of human rights violations in Turkey, the military coup of 12 September 1980 and its aftermath brought a peak in extensive, massive and intense human rights violations, such as torture and ill-treatment. By 1990, mainly as a result of the fact that the “Kurdish issue” has not yet been resolved the human rights situation had worsened. There has been some progress between 2000 and 2005 in terms of the relevant legal framework and its implementation. Nevertheless, after 2005, several progressive reforms were rolled back; various articles of the new Turkish Penal Code and the new Criminal Procedural Code were amended in a negative way. Moreover, an amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Code and the Code on Powers and Duties of Police were in 2006 and 2007, respectively gave the police more authority to use of force including firearms, and restricted possibilities for complaining, which has resulted in more police brutality, and a weakening of the procedural safeguards. These regressive amendments have also led to an increase in other human rights violations, including freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, right to liberty and security, and right to life1. In 2013, the so-called Gezi Park Protests and Corruption Operation of 17 December resulted in violations targeting the effective realization of protection and promotion of human rights.
3. HRFT submitted its report to the 8th session of UPR for the 1st cycle of Turkey2. Therefore the assessment will cover the period after 2010.