Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
20 October 2026 Daily Human Rights Report
(10/121) Journalist Detained in Istanbul…
Murat Ağırel, a journalist detained as part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, was arrested by the magistrates’ court to which he was referred on 19 October 2026. It was reported that 16 further individuals were arrested in connection with the same investigation, whilst two were released subject to judicial supervision.
(10/122) Mayor and Others Detained in Muğla…
On 20 October 2026, as part of an investigation targeting the municipality of Milas in Muğla, operations were carried out in 13 provinces (Muğla, Adana, Ankara, Bursa, Elazığ, Hakkari, Istanbul, Gaziantep, Kilis, Kocaeli, Manisa, Van and Ordu), 29 people, including Milas Mayor Fevzi Topuz, were taken into custody on charges of “membership of a criminal organisation”, “bribery”, “tampering with a tender”, “forgery of official documents” and “aggravated fraud”. It has been reported that a search was carried out by the police at the town hall as part of the investigation.
(10/123) Indictment Prepared Against a Journalist…
It has been reported that the Istanbul Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has drawn up an indictment against journalist Fatih Ergin, who was detained for a social media post regarding the discovery of the body of Turgay Tamer—a former prison campus doctor detained in the investigation involving former MIT officer Kaşif Kozinoğlu—at his home. The indictment seeks the journalist’s prosecution on the charge of “publicly disseminating misleading information”.
Fatih Ergin was arrested on 28 September 2026.
(10/124) A Person on Trial in Kayseri…
The final hearing in the case brought before the Kayseri Criminal Court of First Instance No. 15 against Selman Yeşilgöz, director of the Dersim Research Centre (DAM), concerning his comments regarding an individual who had put models and figurines depicting Seyit Rıza and Şeyh Sait on the gallows up for sale on social media, took place on 19 October 2026. The court fined Selman Yeşilgöz 5,600 TL for the offence of “insult motivated by personal animosity”.
(10/125) Individuals Detained as Part of an Istanbul-Based Investigation…
According to news reports on 20 October 2026, it was learned that 15 people were detained during simultaneous operations carried out in Istanbul, Burdur and Ordu as part of an investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, on
[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.