Turkey Weekly 28 – 30 April 2025
Turkey Today – 30.04.2025
18 of 52 people detained in the second operation against Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality on 26 April were arrested.
Lawyers of Asrin Law Office applied to the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office to meet their client Abdullah Öcalan.
The first hearing in the case against Swedish journalist Joakim Medin on charges of “insulting the President” was held in Ankara. judge has announced the verdict: Joakim Medin has been sentenced to 11 months and 7 days in prison. The sentence was suspended, and he will be released.
In İzmir, police raided several houses simultaneously in the morning hours. Many people were detained.
Two hotel managers were detained today in connection with a corruption investigation involving suspended İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The detentions relate to the covering of security cameras ahead of a meeting İmamoğlu held at Le Méridien Hotel.
Turkey Today – 29.04.2025
Many houses were raided in Istanbul before the May Day Labour Day celebrations. It is stated that some detained people were subjected to violence.
Izmir Bar Association warned that prisoners Sercan Ahmet Arslan and Mulla Zincir, who are on hunger strike demanding to be transferred, may lose their lives.
Lawyer Eyyüp Çataloğlu, who was beaten at the police station in Konya, said that the camera recording of the moment he was beaten was ‘cut’ by the police officers and put into the file.
The lawsuit filed against four police officers on charges of torture after the detention and beating of human rights defender lawyer Oğuzcan Ozan Kurt was held in Ankara. Trial adjourned until 21 May.
The second hearing of the lawsuit filed against JINNEWS reporter Melek Avcı due to ‘propaganda’ based on her social media posts containing news content was held in Ankara. The court acquitted Avcı. Turkey Today – 28.04.2025
The Kurdistan Workers Party made a new statement on Abdullah Öcalan’s 27 February call and said, “We expect leader Abdullah Öcalan to be in a position to lead the party congress.”
DEM Party Istanbul Co-Chair Çınar Altan was sentenced to 2 years and 1 month on the charge of ‘aiding an illegal organisation’.
Justice Initiative for Roboski stated that although 160 months have passed since the massacre, the perpetrators have not been put on trial and said: ‘Roboski is the bloody memory of impunity and lawlessness’.
3 prisoners transferred to Erzincan High Security Prison were subjected to strip search, beating and ill-treatment.
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Turkey Weekly 14 – 21 April 2025
Turkey Today – 21.04.2025
Rojhat Burakmak, held in Diyarbakır High Security Closed Prison No 2, died under suspicious circumstances.
Civan Boltan, a seriously ill prisoner in Bolu who is blind in one eye, missing an arm and has shrapnel in his brain, is not being released despite the “violation” judgement of the ECHR.
Doctors made a statement regarding the health condition of Sırrı Süreyya Önder, DEM Party Parliamentary Deputy Chair and member of the İmralı Delegation, who is being treated in intensive care at Florence Nightingale Hospital in Istanbul, and said that his life is still in danger.
DEM Party Van MP Gülderen Varlı submitted a research motion to the Parliament to prevent the increasing number of suicides, which is also on the agenda of the World Health Organisation.
It was stated that 3 village guards were wounded in an explosion in Xakurke area of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq yesterday. The explosion occurred while the village guards were working on the construction of a military tower and wall.
Turkey Today – 20.04.2025
DEM Party Organization building in Seyhan district of Adana was attacked. The signboard of the party was damaged in the attack.
DEM Party stated that the meeting with Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç postponed due to the illness of Sırrı Süreyya Önder will be held by the group deputy chairpersons.
Manager Ayşe Barım, who was arrested in the Gezi protests investigation, collapsed and was hospitalised.
Turkey Today – 19.04.2025
YNK Chairman Bafil Talabani announced that the PKK congress could not be convened due to Turkish attacks.
The detention of Istanbul Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan on 19 March and the appointment of a trustee was protested on the first month of his detention.
Students who came together in the first month of the operation against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and wanted to march to Saraçhane were blockaded. Journalists following the protest were also prevented.
President Erdoğan defended the controversial banner ‘Natural is normal birth’ unfurled by Sivasspor, calling it a ‘problem of survival’.
Turkey Today – 18.04.2025
5 people including Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Ali Rıza Yılmaz were arrested.
The hearing of the lawsuit filed against the appointment of a trustee to Bahçesaray Municipality was held today. The court is expected to make a decision in the coming days.
The Turkish Medical Association sent a letter to the Ministries of Health, Justice and Interior and stated: “Most of the transfers to hospitals are made by ring vehicles. Necessary work should be carried out to ensure that prisoners are transferred to hospitals under appropriate conditions”.
Handelsblatt newspaper wrote that the German government blocked the sale of Eurofighter fighter jets to Turkey due to the arrest of Imamoglu.
Bülent Şık, a food engineer and a researcher on trial for sharing the Health Ministry’s cancer data with the public, has been acquitted after six years.
Turkey Today – 17.04.2025
Selcuk Kozagacali, Honorary Chair of Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD), was arrested 24 hours after his release from prison.
Cizre Co-Mayor Güler Yerbasan Tunç was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison.
Mehmet Emin Cam, a seriously ill prisoner, had a heart attack in Batman prison. Cam was hospitalised and taken under treatment in the intensive care unit.
Deputy President Cevdet Yılmaz visited the hospital where Sırrı Süreyya Önder was hospitalised and said, “This process will continue. There is no disruption there”.
Erzurum Dumlu Prison No 2 director allegedly raided the wards and threatened the prisoners by saying ‘We know what we will do to you once this solution process ends’.
Turkey Today – 16.04.2025
The Supreme Election Board (YSK) rejected the application for the cancellation of the CHP’s congress.
Sırrı Süreyya Önder, President of the Parliament and member of DEM Party İmralı Delegation, was taken to intensive care after an operation lasting about 12 hours. It was announced that Önder’s life-threatening condition continues.
It has been revealed that the police officer who murdered Nihat Kazanhan (12) in 2015 and for whom there is an arrest warrant with a red notice was in Turkey according to HTS records and yet he was not caught.
Journalist Derya Ren, who was detained ‘on reasonable suspicion’ and subjected to sexist insults, was charged with ‘insulting’ the police officers who detained her.
The hearing of the case against Artuklu Co-Mayor Mehmet Ali Amak and some politicians was postponed.
Journalist Welat Ekin who has been held in Marmara prison since 20 January was acquitted of “terrorist organization membership” during the first hearing of the case against him.
Turkey Today – 15.04.2025
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) carried out an ad hoc visit to Turkey from 7 to 11 April 2025. It did not visit İmralı Prison Island.
Making evaluations on the Kurdish issue, CHP Chair Özgür Özel said, ‘Come to the Parliament, bring it to the Parliament and make the Parliament work.’
The AKP, which has not put on the agenda the legislative proposals submitted by DTP, BDP, HDP, CHP and MHP for 23 years to declare Newroz an official holiday, submitted a legislative proposal to the Parliament upon Erdoğan’s call.
In the retrial of 2016 Diyarbakır Newroz Organising Committee members, 6 people were sentenced to sentences of up to 6 years and 3 months.
MHP chair Devlet Bahçeli has called for an expedited judicial decision in the ongoing case against İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, stating that the proceedings should quickly determine either acquittal or punishment.
Turkey Today – 14.04.2025
DEM Party İmralı Delegation will meet with the Ministry of Justice on 18 April.
Pointing out that the condition of Emin Aladağ, a seriously ill prisoner in Elazığ High Security Prison No 1, is getting worse, İHD Representative Office demanded his immediate release.
The appeal against the detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and his press advisor Murat Ongun was rejected.
3 more people arrested in İmamoğlu protests were released. The court also lifted all judicial control conditions on the youth.
The 8th hearing in the trial of Hayri Demir on “membership” charges was held in Ankara. Demir was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison.
The first hearing of the lawsuit filed against arrested journalist Necla Demir due to “illegal organisation membership” on the grounds of her professional activities was held in Istanbul. Demir was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison. The court ruled for her release with a ban on leaving the country.
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Turkey Weekly 7 – 12 April 2025
Turkey Today – 12.04.2025
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said that 14 detainees who were arrested within the scope of the investigation against Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality on 19 March and who were in Marmara Penal Execution Institutions were transferred to different prisons.
In Konak district of Izmir, a citizen was beaten by traffic police officers for allegedly fleeing from a traffic stop.
The Education and Science Workers’ Union (Eğitim Sen) organised a workshop in Diyarbakır entitled “Towards a solution in mother tongue education: Possibilities, obstacles, suggestions”.
Writer Mehmet Serhat Polatsoy, who was imprisoned for a period of time on the grounds of a “bomb sack”, was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison on the grounds of a digital “report” found on a person outside during his imprisonment.
Turkey Today – 11.04.2025
Serhat Çakmak, Co-Chair of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom, stated that they will notify the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe if the “right to hope” is not implemented. Çakmak stated that they are also preparing a collective application to the Parliament.
HPG announced that Turkey’s attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq continued despite the ceasefire and that 2 of their members lost their lives in a drone attack.
The General Directorate of Security (EGM) accused those who shared the allegation of “torture and strip search in detention” on its official website of “slander” and announced that they filed a criminal complaint against them under the “disinformation law”.
Saturday Mothers gathered at Galatasaray Square in week 1046. The police allowed only 10 people to attend the meeting.
Turkey Today – 11.04.2025
Şırnak Governorate once again banned access to 11 regions for 15 days.
The trustee of Van Metropolitan Municipality asked Edremit Municipality to evacuate Şamiran Women’s Life Centre.
Seriously ill prisoner Mehmet Emin Çam, who was found to have a brain tumour, had heart and cataract surgery, two kidney suregeries and is paralysedon his left side, was hospitalised after his condition deteriorated.
A lawsuit filed against 14 people, including 10 journalists, for protesting in Şişhane for journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin, who were killed while following news reports in Syria, appeared before the judge for the first time today.
Journalists Timur Soykan and Murat Agirel were released with judicial control and a ban on leaving the country.
MHP chair Devlet Bahçeli welcomed the meeting between President Erdoğan and members of the İmralı delegation.
Turkey Today – 10.04.2025
President Erdoğan met with DEM Party Imrali delegation members Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Süreyya Önder. MIT chief İbrahim Kalın and AKP deputy chairman Efkan Ala also attended the meeting.
Journalists Timur Soykan and Murat Ağırel were detained in house raids following a complaint filed by suspects in a money laundering investigation, who allege that the journalists threatened and blackmailed them.
An İstanbul court has ordered the release of 102 young detainees who had been arrested during protests following the detention of İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
The fifth hearing of the trial of director Kazım Öz who is facing charges of “making illegal organisation propaganda” was held in Istanbul. Öz was acquitted.
The second hearing of the trial of Xwebun newspaper columnist Mehmet Şahin was held in Diyarbakır. Trial adjourned until June.
Turkey Today – 09.04.2025
The parents of Berkin Elvan, who was shot dead by the police during the Gezi resistance in 2013, were sentenced in the lawsuit filed against them due to “insulting the President” to prison.
Mahir Polat, Deputy Secretary General of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, was ordered to be under house arrest in order to continue his treatment outside the prison due to his health problems.
A lawsuit was filed against 7 journalists who followed the protests in Istanbul. The indictment stated that “no determination was made that they were carrying out journalistic activities at the scene”.
An indicment has been prepared against arrested Istanbul Bar Association Executive Board Member Fırat Epözdemir, demanding a prison sentence of up to 15 years.
Ill prisoners Suat Oguz and Mehmet Tiryaki, who objected to the imposition of mouth searches, have been banned to visits for 3 months.
Turkey Today – 08.04.2025
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has filed an indictment against 139 individuals arrested following a protest against İmamoğlu’s detention seeking up to 3 years in prison.
The Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS) has been denied permission to visit journalist Elif Akgül, who was detained on 18 February in connection with an investigation into the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK).
President Erdoğan has filed a civil lawsuit seeking 500,000 Turkish liras (~131,000 US dollars) in damages against CHP Chair Özgür Özel, citing his use of the term “junta leader” during a recent political speech.
Van Metropolitan Municipality under the trustee administration has expelled a large number of children from Perperok Kindergarten on the grounds of “non-payment of wages”.
Turkey Today – 07.04.2025
Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç has spoken about the strip search imposed on university students arrested for protesting against the operation against Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, “It is absolutely out of the question in our country” he claimed.
Lawyers from ÖHD, İHD, ÇHD and Asın Law Office made a statement on the health condition of ill prisoner Soydan Akay: “Soydan Akay is officially being dragged to death by not being released in his current condition.” Akay suffers from cancer.
Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan (CHP) has come under criticism for making derogatory remarks targeting Armenians. In a social media post he referred to Abdullah Öcalan as “Armenian”.
Labour Party General Executive Board member Eren Öner was detained at the courthouse where he went to testify.
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Turkey Today – 06.04.2025
Dicle Fırat Journalists’ Association (DFG) made a statement on the occasion of 6 April Murdered Journalists Day and reminded that 15 journalists were murdered in the las 5 years.
Özgür Özel was re-elected as the chair at the CHP’s 21st Extraordinary Congress.
“Tayyip Erdoğan has turned into a junta president who targets those who receive the support of the people, he no longer has legitimacy,” CHP Chair Özgür Özel said.
Hundreds of skulls and bones belonging to human beings were unearthed in a shelter accessed through a secret passage of a church in the Assyrian village of Arbo in Mardin’s Nusaybin district.
Turkey Today – 05.04.2025
In an interview with Reuters news agency in Brussels, where he travelled for the NATO foreign ministers’ summit, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Israel’s actions in Syria paved the way for future instability. Fidan also said that they did not want the US to launch an attack on Iran.
Turkey is planning to introduce new regulations that would significantly expand the internet authority’s powers to restrict access to social media platforms without a court order.
Saturday Mothers gathered at Galatasaray Square in week 1045 and asked for the fate of Talat Türkoğlu, who has not been heard from since 1 April 1996.
Turkey Today – 04.04.2025
Mahir Polat, an İstanbul municipal executive detained as part of recent investigations targeting Mayor İmamoğlu, has been hospitalized for the third time since 23 March. His lawyer says he is at risk of a brain hemorrhage.
Şırnak Chief Public Prosecutor, who deemed the song “Şervano” “dangerous”, demanded that the artist Umut Botan, who sang the song, be punished for “terrorist organization propaganda”.
Antalya Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal announced that he is a candidate for CHP Chairperson.
MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli appeared in public for the first time in 66 days, putting to rest unfounded rumors of his death.
Turkey Today – 03.04.2025
The Turkish Medical Association announced that the deprivation of health rights of many sick prisoners among those arrested in the İmamoğlu protests is a criminal offence.
In Trabzon, a knife attack was organised against the ‘Freedom for İmamoğlu’ stand, which was set up to demand the release of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul, and early elections. One person was injured in the attack.
The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners strongly condemn the arrest of Swedish journalist Joakim Medin on terrorism charges in Turkey and call for his immediate release.
Gendarmerie stopped the mass marching to Halfeti district of Urfa for the 76th birthday of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan at the entrance of the district.
Prisoners in Kırşehir High Security Prison were banned from family visits for 4 months due to the “food” protest and 20 months due to the “pressure and attack” protests.
16 people were detained in Istanbul for calling for “April 2 consumption boycott” on social media.
Turkey Today – 02.04.2025
The European Commission cancelled its participation in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, while European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said she has cancelled a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya, in his “boycott” statement, evaluated the calls as a coup attempt against the economy.
Facebook’s main company Meta has been fined for failing to fulfil a Turkish request to block accounts posting about the Ekrem İmamoğlu protests.
It was stated that the student, whose foot was run over by a TOMA during the protests in Ankara, will not be able to walk for 2 months.
Journalist Bahadır Özgür wrote that the Israel-based company Appsflyer, which is associated with the accusation of ‘selling personal data abroad’ in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality operation, is supported by the Ministry of Trade.
Media watchdog RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin targeted TV channels that broadcast “boycott” news and programmes, threatening them with the words “necessary action will be taken”.
State broadcaster TRT has dismissed actress Aybüke Pusat and pulled a completed series from its streaming platform after she publicly supported a nationwide boycott campaign led by the opposition.
Turkey Today – 01.04.2025
Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç claimed that detainees in prisons were not subjected to torture and ill-treatment.
MHP chair Devlet Bahçeli reminded the 15 July coup attempt and said, “Be ready to pay the price!” regarding the Imamoğlu protests.
University students announced that they will launch an economic boycott campaign on 2 April, saying “We are using our economic power and taking a one-day break from consumption after the feast”.
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