Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
23 May – 1 June 2025 Daily Human Rights Report
(06/001) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It was learned from news reports on May 22, 2026, that the Ministry of Justice had rejected a request by Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Mayor of Istanbul, who is being held at the Istanbul Marmara (Silivri) Prison, to attend the funeral of a deceased relative.
(06/002) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Izmir…
It was learned from news reports on May 26, 2026, that during a police intervention against participants in a rally held on the same day at İzmir Republic Square to protest the ruling of absolute nullity regarding the Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) 38th Ordinary Congress, Deniz Yolcu,was detained by using physical force on the grounds that he had climbed onto a Social Intervention Vehicle (TOMA), and that the police continued to use violence at the detention facility, resulting in injuries to various parts of the individual’s body.
(06/003) Prisoners Denied Access to Healthcare…
It was learned from news reports on May 27, 2026, that requests for medical care by inmates held at the Istanbul Bakırköy Women’s Prison were met far too late, that the prison clinic doctor failed to act in accordance with the ethical principles of the medical profession, that hospital transfers were made far too late, that they were subjected to forced examinations at the hospital while handcuffed and accompanied by gendarmes, and that inmates who refused this were returned to the prison without receiving an examination or treatment.
(06/004) Inmate Whose Release Was Postponed by a Prison Administration and Observation Board Decision…
It was learned from news reports on May 22, 2026, that the release of two inmates, Melike Göksu and Emine Abiş, who are being held at the Ankara Sincan Women’s Prison and have completed their prison sentences, was postponed for 9 months by the Prison Administration and Observation Board (CİGK).
The reports stated that the release of Melike Göksu and Emine Abiş had previously been postponed twice—once for three months and once for six months.
(06/005) Racist Attack in Trabzon…
It was learned from news reports on May 26, 2026, that a bus bearing an LED sign reading “Champion Amedspor” was stopped by a group in the Akçabat district of Trabzon.
(06/006) Police Intervention at a Protest in Istanbul…
On May 23, 2026, police intervened in protests held at Istanbul Bilgi University’s Santral Campus regarding the university’s closure by presidential decree on May 22, 2026.
It was reported that the police did not allow union and bar association representatives, as well as journalists, to enter the campus. During the intervention, it was reported that Eylül Deniz Tutaş, a representative of the Private Sector Teachers’ Union, was injured.
On May 24, 2026, it was reported that supplies brought for students, staff, and students participating in a sit-in protest against the decision were not allowed onto the campus. It was also reported that on the same day, police intervened using physical force against students, resulting in at least one person being injured.
(06/007) Police Intervention in Protests in Ankara and Izmir…
On May 24, 2026, police intervened using tear gas against a march organized by CHP members and officials to the party’s General Headquarters in response to the absolute nullity ruling regarding the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress.
On the same grounds, on May 26, 2026, it was reported that the area around Cumhuriyet Square in Izmir was cordoned off by police with barriers ahead of a rally scheduled to take place with the participation of CHP General Chairman Özgür Özel, who had been replaced by a trustee. Police intervened against those gathered to attend the rally using pressurized water and physical force. During the intervention, three people were detained. While two were released—one under judicial supervision—it was reported that one person (Deniz Yolcu) was arrested by the magistrate’s court to which he was referred on May 27, 2026.
(06/008) Police Intervention at a Protest in Istanbul…
On May 31, 2026, police intervened against those gathered to participate in a commemoration on Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district marking the anniversary of the 2013 Gezi Protests, detaining seven people. All seven were released the same day following their statements at the police station.
It was reported that, pursuant to a decision by the Istanbul Governor’s Office, the Taksim metro station, the Taksim-Kabataş funicular line, and the Maçka-Taşkışla cable car line were closed prior to the commemoration. Additionally, it was reported that certain roads in the Beyoğlu and Şişli districts were closed to traffic under the Governor’s decision.
(06/009) Protest Prevented by Police…
According to news reports on June 1, 2026, it was learned that the Doruk Mining workers, who wanted to return to Ankara due to broken promises, had their bus rentals blocked by police three times.
(06/010) Street Musician Blocked by Municipal Police in Mardin…
It was learned from news reports on May 23, 2026, that municipal police intervened against a street musician performing Kurdish music in the Kızıltepe district of Mardin and prevented him from playing.
(06/011) Mayor Arrested in Düzce…
Fikret Albayrak, the mayor of Akçakoca district in Düzce, who was taken into custody on May 22, 2026, was arrested on May 23, 2026, by the magistrate’s court to which he was referred, on charges of “extortion.”
(06/012) Mayor and Others Arrested in İzmir…
On May 26, 2026, as part of an investigation targeting the Güzelbahçe District Municipality in İzmir, two of the five individuals taken into custody (Mayor Mustafa Günay and Urban Planning and Urban Development Director Özgür Bayraktar) were arrested by the magistrate’s court to which they were referred on the same day, while three others, including former Mayor Özdem Mustafa İnce, were released on judicial supervision.
(06/013) Mayor and Others Detained in İzmir…
On June 1, 2026, 50 people—including Mayor Görkem Duman and former Mayor Erhan Kılıç—were detained on corruption charges as part of an investigation into the Buca District Municipality in İzmir.
(06/014) Association Executive Arrested in Istanbul…
On May 21, 2026, Sinem Çelebi, a member of the Central Executive Board (MYK) of the Federation of Socialist Youth Associations (SGDF), was detained at the Istanbul Çağlayan Courthouse while going there to give a statement. On May 22, 2026, she was arrested by the magistrate’s court to which she was referred, in connection with two separate investigations.
(06/015) Person Detained in Istanbul…
Hafize Çetin, a student at Istanbul Bilgi University, was detained on May 26, 2026, on the charge of “publicly disseminating misleading information,” citing her social media posts regarding the university’s closure by presidential decree on May 22, 2026. was released on May 27, 2026, by the magistrate’s court to which she was referred, subject to the judicial control conditions of a reporting obligation and a ban on leaving the country.
(06/016) Individuals Arrested in Izmir…
Four individuals detained on May 20, 2026, as part of an investigation targeting the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality were arrested on May 23, 2026, by the magistrate’s court to which they were referred, on charges of “forming an organization for the purpose of committing a crime, membership in an organization,” and “tampering with a tender.”
(06/017) Individuals Detained as Part of an Istanbul-Based Investigation…
Following the ruling of absolute nullity regarding the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress, an Istanbul-based investigation was launched. On May 23, 2026, 13 individuals were detained across 7 provinces (Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Urfa, Kilis, Maraş, and Malatya), 9 of the 13 individuals were arrested by the magistrate’s court to which they were referred on the same day on charges of “violation of the Political Parties Law,” “bribery,” and “laundering assets derived from crime,” while 4 were released under judicial supervision.
(06/018) Person Arrested in Istanbul…
According to news reports on May 22, 2026, it was learned that Mehmet Toprak, a member of the Swiss Federation of Migrant Workers (İGİF) whose asylum application was rejected and who was subsequently deported to Turkey, was detained and subsequently arrested by the magistrate’s court to which he was referred.
His lawyers stated in their press statements that there were marks on Mehmet Toprak’s face consistent with torture and other ill-treatment.
(06/019) The Trial of the Life Advocate…
The trial of life and human rights advocate Esra Işık, which was initiated at the Muğla Milas Criminal Court of First Instance No. 3 on the grounds of protests against the expropriation of agricultural lands around the Akbelen Forest, continued on June 1, 2026. The indictment seeks to punish Esra Işık for the crime of “resisting the performance of duty.” The court decided to lift the travel ban on Esra Işık and postponed the hearing to June 22, 2026.
Esra Işık was arrested on March 31, 2026, and released on May 11, 2026.
(06/020) Police Raid on Party Headquarters…
The CHP Headquarters was raided by police on May 24, 2026, citing a petition reportedly submitted by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu—who was appointed Party Chairman following the ruling of absolute nullity regarding the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress—requesting the evacuation of the building. It was reported that during the raid, police intervened using tear gas and plastic bullets against those inside the building and prevented those in the courtyard from entering. It was reported that those inside the building were subsequently removed.
(006/021) Mayor Removed from Office…
Fikret Albayrak, the mayor of Akçakoca district in Düzce, who was arrested on May 23, 2026, was removed from office by the Ministry of the Interior on the same day.
(006/022) Mayor Removed from Office…
Mustafa Günay, the mayor of Güzelbahçe district in İzmir, who was arrested on May 27, 2026, was removed from office by the Ministry of the Interior on the same day.
(06/023) Social Media Accounts Subject to Access Restrictions…
According to news reports on May 22, 2026, it was learned that access to the website https://cars.booking.com, which provides car rental services, was restricted pursuant to a decision dated May 16, 2026, by the Gebze Criminal Courtt of First Instance No. 2 in Kocaeli.
It was learned from news reports on May 26, 2026, that following the ruling of absolute nullity regarding the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress, access was blocked to 93 social media accounts on the grounds that they “contained criminal elements.”
[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.