Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
15 May 2025 Daily Human Rights Report
(05/108) Refugee who lost his life in Maraş…
According to news reports on May 15, 2025, a vehicle transporting refugees to a temporary shelter in Şırnak for deportation was involved in an accident in the Göksun district of Maraş, resulting in the death of one Afghan refugee (Abdullah Mahir Süleyman) and injuries to 22 people, including six gendarmes.
(05/109) Operations and Attacks…
The Ministry of National Defense (MSB) announced that one soldier (Berat Mecit Day) was killed by a lightning strike during the ongoing “Pençe-Kilit” operation within the borders of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (IKBY) on May 14, 2025.
(05/110) Journalist Arrested in Istanbul…
Journalist Furkan Karabay was detained on May 15, 2025, in Istanbul on allegations of targeting public officials involved in counter-terrorism efforts and insulting the President in social media posts. Furkan Karabay was arrested by a magistrate’s court on the same day.
(05/111) Person Arrested in Antalya…
Arif Kocabıyık, a street interviewer who was arrested in Antalya on May 7, 2025, on allegations of insulting the President in an interview, was released on May 14, 2025, after an appeal against his detention was accepted. It was learned that the prosecutor’s appeal against the release decision was rejected. Arif Kocabıyık was re-arrested on May 15, 2025, citing two previous investigation files in which he had given statements, and was arrested by the magistrate’s court to which he was referred.
(05/112) Trial of the Co-Mayor of Diyarbakır…
The trial of Cengiz Dündar, co-mayor of Diyarbakır’s Kayapınar district, continued on May 15, 2025, at the Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 5. The indictment seeks the punishment of Cengiz Dündar for “membership in an organization.” The court postponed the hearing until June 24, 2025.
Cengiz Dündar was arrested on November 26, 2024, and released on January 13, 2025.
(05/113) Trial of a Journalist in Istanbul…
The final hearing in the case against journalist Evrim Kepenek, who was charged based on a news report she published in 2022, was held on May 14, 2025, at the Istanbul Büyükçekmece Criminal Court of First Instance No. 9. The court sentenced Evrim Kepenek to 10 months in prison for “violating the confidentiality of the investigation” and postponed the announcement of the verdict.
(11/114) Trial of Journalists and Others in Diyarbakır…
The trial of 22 people, 20 of whom are journalists, at the Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 4 continued on May 15, 2025. The indictment seeks the punishment of 21 people for “membership in an organization.” The court postponed the hearing until September 18, 2025.
The 22 individuals were detained on June 8, 2022, and 16 journalists (Mezopotamya News Agency editor Aziz Oruç, Jinnews News Director Safiye Alağaş, Dicle Fırat Journalists’ Association Co-Chair Serdar Altan, Xwebûn newspaper Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Ali Ertaş, and journalists Ömer Çelik, Neşe Toprak, Mehmet Şahin, Zeynel Abidin Bulut, Elif Üngör, Remziye Temel, Suat Doğuhan, Lezgin Akdeniz, İbrahim Koyuncu, Abdurrahman Öncü, Ramazan Geciken, and Mazlum Güler) were arrested by the court to which they were referred. Of the journalists who were detained, Gülşen Koçuk, Kadir Bayram, Mehmet Yalçın, Esmer Tunç, and two others (Feynaz Koçuk and İhsan Ergünlü) were released on judicial control. On March 21, 2023, the court ruled to separate the cases of Jinnews News Director Safiye Alağaş, journalist Gülşen Koçuk, Feynaz Koçuk, and İhsan Ergünlü.
Fifteen journalists (Dicle Fırat Journalists Association Co-Chair Serdar Altan, Xwebûn newspaper Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Ali Ertaş, Aziz Oruç, Ömer Çelik, Neşe Toprak, Mehmet Şahin, Zeynel Abidin Bulut, Elif Üngör, Remziye Temel, Suat Doğuhan, Lezgin Akdeniz, İbrahim Koyuncu, Abdurrahman Öncü, Ramazan Geciken, and Mazlum Güler) were released at the first hearing of their case on July 11, 2023.
(05/115) Journalist Against Whom an Indictment Has Been Prepared…
According to news reports on May 15, 2025, it was learned that the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had prepared an indictment against journalist Can Ataklı on the grounds of social media posts related to the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The indictment seeks punishment for Can Ataklı on charges of “publicly disseminating misleading information.”
(05/116) Individuals on Trial in Istanbul…
A trial began on May 15, 2025, at the Istanbul Anadolu Criminal Court of First Instance No. 77 against three individuals, including Esila Ayık, a sick prisoner, who allegedly carried banners reading “Dictator Erdoğan” during protests against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The indictment seeks the punishment of the three individuals for the crime of “insulting the President.” It was reported that, except for lawyers from the bar association and journalists from Anadolu Agency and ANKA News Agency, other journalists were not allowed into the courtroom due to lack of space. After hearing the defenses, the court decided to release the three individuals and postponed the trial to a later date.
The three individuals were detained on April 8, 2025, and arrested on the same day.
[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.