Turkey Weekly 28- 30 September 2026
Turkey Today – 30.09.2026
An İstanbul court has ordered an access block on the website and social media accounts of the independent news outlet T24 as per a request from the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The decision cited 118 column articles published over the past year that constituted “LGBTI+ propaganda.”
Bilal Erdoğan, the son of President Erdoğan, who maintains that Turkey has returned to its ‘own normality’, addressed Imam Hatip students, saying: “You are the guarantors of the country’s values.”
Journalist Fatih Ergin, news coordinator at the Nefes newspaper, was arrested on late Sep 28 over a social media post about the recent death of a doctor who had been questioned in the reopened investigation into the 2011 prison death of a former intelligence officer.
Özgür Özel, the New Party leader, claimed that the cost of the fund scandal amounted to 90 billion dollars.
İHD Ankara Branch Executive Board member Tuğba Kahraman and Ankara Branch Youth Commission members Hale Nur Çetin, Mert Ahmet Aldemir and Şevin Özden, who were detained and subsequently arrested ahead of the NATO Summit, were released at their first hearing on 29 September 2026, held after three months in detention.
Turkey Today – 29.09.2026
M.B., a soldier who testified as a witness in the trial of Diyar Koç, who was detained after being subjected to torture, said Koç had not taken down the flag.
İleri Devrim Yurtsever, General Secretary of the Limter-İş Trade Union, who had been in custody for eight months, has been released.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek filed a criminal complaint and brought a claim for non-pecuniary damages in response to allegations made by Ahmet Şık, an MP for the Turkish Workers’ Party (TİP) in Istanbul, concerning himself and his wife.
Elçin Aktoprak, a ‘Peace Academic’ who had been dismissed, has been reinstated to her post after nine years.
Turkey Today – 28.09.2026
The second meeting of the Monitoring and Assessment Board, established as part of the process, has concluded. According to a written statement, the meeting addressed and finalized the formation of the subcommittees, their duties and areas of authority and inter-institutional coordination.
An İstanbul court has ordered the release of stand-up comedian Deniz Göktaş after sentencing him to 11 months and 20 days in prison for “insulting the president” and seven months and 15 days for “insulting religious values.”
The release of ill prisoners Hüseyin Bilecan and Selim Acar who have spent 30 years in different prisons has been blocked by decisions of the Administrative and Monitoring Boards.
Sami Doğan, President of the Social Democracy Association, announced that Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu had been expelled from the association following an investigation by its Honorary Council.
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Turkey Weekly 21 – 27 September 2026
Turkey Today – 27.09.2026
The Occupational Health and Safety Council (İSİG) has announced that 6-year-old Halime Okkalı lost her life after being trapped under a machine in the production area of a pistachio factory in Urfa’s Hilvan district.
Lawyer Berfin Elçi, stating that the Ceylan Önkol case is an example of impunity, said that the Directorate for the Investigation of Unsolved Crimes should take up the case. Önkol was killed on 28 September 2009 by a mortar shell fired from a police station whilst he was grazing his animals.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation of its own accord into Mustafa Erdem, the Antalya MP for the New Party, on charges of “bribery”.
Nizamettin Kabaiş, whose daughter Rojin Kabaiş died in suspicious circumstances, has spoken out against the fact that the case has remained unsolved for two years, saying, “They are running away and not answering our questions. It is because they do not want the truth to come out, but we will keep fighting until the killers are found.”
President Erdoğan has accepted the resignation of Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya, whose name was linked to transactions worth millions of lira during the fund crisis.
Turkey Today – 26.09.2026
Duygu Özbay, Co-Chair of Eğitim Sen Diyarbakır No. 2 Branch, stated that centralisation, inequality and the exclusion of different identities within the education system lead to violence, adding that the solution does not lie in security-oriented policies.
Saturday Mothers gathered at Galatasaray Square in week 1122 and demanded to know the fate of İbrahim Çelik and his son Edip Çelik, who were taken from their homes by Hizbullah in Batman on 10 July 1994 and have since gone missing.
The Ministry of National Education (MEB) continues to sign protocols that pave the way for religious communities and foundations to operate in schools. The MEB has announced that the Ensar Foundation will organise the ‘Sana Emanet Knowledge Competition’ in schools.
Following allegations that Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya, Deputy Chair of the AKP, and her husband, İlyas Kaya, had made a profit of 1.3 billion lira, calls for Kaya to resign came from figures within the AKP.
Turkey Today – 25.09.2026
Referring to the Peace and Democratic Society Process, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said: “The law will not be implemented unless the organization’s dissolution and disarmament are ensured.”
A sentence has been sought against a staff sergeant in Hakkari on charges of “intentional wounding under unjust provocation” for using violence against a 10-year-old child named E.T., resulting in a broken arm.
Tons of trees felled in Şırnak’s Besta district in February and left at the cutting site to dry are now being transported out of the area in tarpaulin-covered trucks.
Authorities have blocked access to dozens of news reports and 194 X accounts covering an ongoing financial investigation involving investment and portfolio management companies, according to the Freedom of Expression Association.
JINNEWS’ Turkish language X account has been blocked from access in Turkey.
One person took their own life during a protest by 25 pensioners and civil society organisations gathered outside the Constitutional Court (AYM).
Turkey Today – 24.09.2026
The Tunceli Governor’s Office canceled the venue allocation for the launch of Dêrsim in the 1990s: Documents, Reports and Testimonies and a panel, saying it had another event scheduled for the same time.
The Progressive Lawyers’ Association has drawn attention to the case of İrfan Yılmaz, a prisoner with a 96 percent disability who has not been released despite a report from the Forensic Medicine Institute, saying that his condition is deteriorating and that he should be released without further delay.
AKP has taken control of İstanbul’s Adalar municipality after its candidate won an acting mayoral election following the suspension of the district’s elected mayor in a corruption investigation.
Sezin Uçar, a lawyer and Deputy Co-Chair of the ESP who had been in custody, was released at her first court hearing.
As part of the investigation into the death of Narin Güran, a decision was made to block access to the 99 X account.
In a ‘corruption’ investigation targeting Yahşihan Municipality in Kırıkkale, 31 people, including former mayors from the AKP and MHP, were taken into custody.
Turkey Today – 23.09.2026
Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş has announced his resignation from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), citing the disruption of opposition unity following a judicial crackdown launched last year.
Following Mansur Yavaş’s resignation from the CHP, Özer Kasap, Mayor of Beypazarı, and Satılmış Karakoç, Mayor of Kalecik, also announced that they were leaving the party and would continue in their posts as independents.
Şiyar Çiçek, who was held in Eskişehir Prison, reportedly lost his life under suspicious circumstances after spending the last 10 days in a cell.
During an investigation into the Dilovası Massacre carried out at Dilovası Town Hall, the families—who were prevented from making a statement—issued a written statement saying, “We will continue to pursue this case until everyone responsible for the deaths of our loved ones has been brought to justice.”
Employees of Buca Municipality in Izmir staged a walkout in front of the town hall after their rights under the Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) were not granted.
Turkey Today – 22.09.2026
DEM Party spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan, noting that fieldwork on disarmament is continuing, said, “We expect there to be significant developments in the coming days.”
Savaş Geçirgen, who is held at Suluca Prison, said he was subjected to insults by gendarmes while being transferred to hospital.
Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is on trial on charges of “abuse of office” in connection with the official vehicle used during his term as Mayor of Beylikdüzü, stated that he had allocated a company vehicle to the municipality free of charge, thereby saving 30 million lira.
At the third hearing of the case brought against Welat Agency reporter Nedim Oruç, the request for the return of the confiscated equipment was rejected.
Turkey Today – 21.09.2026
The remains of two members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have been identified through DNA testing, 27 years after their deaths. Bodies of Kısaoğlu and Kaya were exhumed in 2017 from the Garzan Cemetery in Bitlis and transferred to a cemetery of the unclaimed in Kilyos in İstanbul’s Sarıyer district, located along the edges of a road and sidewalk.
The Turkish Medical Association (TTB) has condemned restrictions imposed on the social media accounts of medical and health organizations as part of anti-LGBTI+ operations.
The release of the seriously ill prisoner İzzethan Aykut has been postponed following a decision by the Administration and Observation Board. MP Öznur Bartin raised the issue of this life-threatening delay in Parliament through questions she put to Justice Minister Akın Gürlek.
Whilst 72 people were detained in connection with the irregular granting of citizenship, precautionary measures were imposed on 2,000 properties, hotels, vehicles and bank accounts, and administrators were appointed to 30 companies.
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Turkey Weekly 14 – 20 September 2026
Turkey Today – 20.09.2026
Clarifying his previously debated comments on the process, Özgür Özel, leader of the New Party, drew attention to Article 7 of the framework law, stating, “That article addresses democratisation. That is the real issue – it is an exciting and promising one.”
As part of the investigation into the death of Rojin Kabaiş, a student at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, a new technical effort is being launched to crack the password of her mobile phone, which has so far remained locked.
The Kurdish intellectual and journalist Musa Anter was commemorated on the street in Diyarbakır where he was murdered. During the commemoration, calls were made for the murder to be solved and for a process of reckoning, whilst attention was drawn to the struggle continued by Free Press despite all the difficulties.
Representatives of democratic mass organisations in Cizre, who called for concrete steps to be taken regarding the status of the Kurdish language within the Peace and Democratic Society Process, said, “If we do not protect our language, we cannot protect our very existence.”
In a new investigation into the Süleymancılar group being conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, detention orders have been issued for 29 people, and administrators have been appointed to 23 companies.
Turkey Today – 19.09.2026
A march was organised under the leadership of the Mesopotamian Language and Culture Research Association (MED-DER) to demand education in the mother tongue and to call for the mother tongue to be granted official status.
Saturday Mothers gathered at Galatasaray Square in week 1121 and drew attention to the case of Cemil Kırbayır, who went missing whilst in custody, emphasising that the statute of limitations had brought the investigation to a halt, and called for those responsible to be brought to justice.
Human rights defenders who gathered in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir called for the immediate release of seriously ill prisoners held in detention.
Families who lost loved ones in the 6 February earthquake have said they will continue their sit-in protests outside the Ministry of Justice until their demands are met.
Turkey Today – 18.09.2026
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek pointed to Erdoğan as the presidential candidate, saying that the presidential election will be held in 2028.
The release of İzzethan Aykut, a prisoner with a 30-year sentence who is currently being held at Afyonkarahisar Prison, has been postponed for three months by the Administration and Observation Board on the grounds that he is “not of good behaviour”.
The Mothers of Saturdays and the Human Rights Association (İHD) reacted to the decision to apply the statute of limitations to the case of Rıdvan Karakoç, who went missing whilst in custody, stating: “The case is being closed on the pretext of the statute of limitations.”
In the investigation into the death of Kaşif Kozinoğlu, a former MIT officer who died at Silivri Prison in 2011, two prosecutors who were on duty at the time of the incident and two of Kozinoğlu’s cellmates were brought before the court.
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Turkey Weekly 7 – 13 September 2026
Turkey Today – 13.09.2026
The DEM Party’s Imralı Delegation travelled to the island to meet with Abdullah Öcalan. This visit by the delegation is the first meeting to take place since the framework law was passed.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, whilst on a visit to Syria, stated that they welcomed the SDF’s decision to disband, whilst arguing that Israel’s attacks were destabilising Syria. Fidan said that Erdoğan would also be visiting Syria in the near future.
Members of the executive and supervisory boards of Kaos GL, Turkey’s leading LGBTI+ organisation, were detained during police raids on their homes. Access to the websites and social media accounts of numerous LGBTI+ organisations and activists has been blocked.
The Health Ministry has defended restrictions on hormone therapy used in gender transition by citing the protection of the “Turkish family structure.”
Turkey Today – 12.09.2026
Saturday Mothers gathered at Galatasaray Square in week 1120 and drew attention to the case of Kenan Bilgin, who went missing whilst in custody in Ankara on 12 September 1994.
Attention was drawn to the situation of the ailing prisoner Mehmet Sait Yıldırım in Istanbul and the ailing prisoner Mehmet Elçe, who is 93 per cent disabled, in Ankara, and calls were made for their release.
The text of the ‘1,001 Signatures for a Democratic Republic and Peace’ campaign, prepared by artists, academics and human rights campaigners, was unveiled at a meeting held at the Eyüpsultan Cultural Centre.
Şamil Tayyar of the AKP said he had spoken to a number of figures in the higher judiciary regarding the case concerning the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress. Tayyar claimed that the prevailing view was that the case had become moot.
Turkey Today – 11.09.2026
Lawyer Ercan Kanar said Abdullah Öcalan should be allowed to meet with everyone, adding: “This framework law is not a law that will ensure lasting peace in any real sense. However, if the Nelson Mandela Rules are applied to Abdullah Öcalan, it would pave the way for peace in Turkey.”
Imprisoned academic Nuriye Gülmen said in a letter that Hüseyin Özarslan, who has spent 30 years in prison, and Mehmet Akdemir, who has spent 20 years in prison, have been on hunger strike for 25 days, calling on people to stand up for them.
Osman Kavala’s lawyers have applied to the court requesting a retrial following the latest ruling by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights.
A ruling imposing a “political ban” has been handed down in the trial of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the detained Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, in which he is being tried for remarks he made about the former Mayor of Tuzla, Şadi Yazıcı.
Döne Kaya, spokesperson for the ‘Families in Pursuit of Justice’ Platform, who has spoken out against the defendants being released after receiving eight-year prison sentences in the case concerning the demolition of the Ezgi Block, announced that she would stage a sit-in outside the Ministry of Justice until she had met with the Minister of Justice.
Turkey Today – 10.09.2026
Saniye Bora Fıçı, the CHP mayor of Foça, has officially joined the AKP. With Fıçı’s move, the number of AKP-led local councils in İzmir has risen to three. The AKP had not fielded a candidate in Foça in the 31 March local elections.
In the lawsuit brought by President Erdoğan against Özgür Özel, the leader of the YENİ Party, a total compensation payment of 800,000 TL was ordered.
The villagers of Deştin and Bayır, who are campaigning against the proposed cement factory in Deştin, Muğla, have reacted strongly to the expert report that has been drawn up and emphasised that they will continue their campaign.
Jantsa, a company owned by Ercan Çerçioğlu, the husband of Özlem Çerçioğlu—the Mayor of Aydın Metropolitan Municipality who left the CHP to join the AKP—has become a supplier to TOGG.
Turkey Today – 09.09.2026
An investigation has been launched into Özgür Çelik, the Istanbul Provincial Chair of the New Party, and Berk Tütüncü, the Üsküdar District Chair.
Three people were taken into custody during house raids carried out in the early hours of the morning in the Kızıltepe district of Mardin.
Trans actor Meli Bendeli was formally arrested on Sep 6 as part of an “obscenity” investigation into public figures. The investigation, led by the Kızılcahamam Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Ankara, targeted seven people in simultaneous operations across five provinces.
A new hearing in the ‘defamation’ case in which Ekrem İmamoğlu is standing trial for remarks he made about the former Mayor of Tuzla, Şadi Yazıcı, is due to take place on Friday 11 September.
The residents of İkizköy, who are waging a legal battle against the urgent expropriation decision taken to open a coal mine in the Milas Akbelen Forests, emphasised that olive cultivation, not coal, is in the public interest for the region.
Turkey Today – 08.09.2026
Seriously ill prisoner Mehmet Sait Yıldırım, who has completed his 30 year sentence, has had his release postponed for a third time by a decision of the Prison Administration and Observation Board.
Selçuk Mızraklı, the former co-mayor of Diyarbakır, was released today after nearly seven years in prison.
In an interview, CHP Leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said that he did not regard Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu as a political prisoner.
The election for deputy mayor at Üsküdar Municipality was re-run following a court ruling. Following a series of operations and arrests, the AKP candidate, Dündar Ziya Gültekin, who had led after the first three rounds, was elected deputy mayor in the final round by 23 votes. The CHP candidate received 19 votes.
The fourth hearing in the case concerning the explosion at Ravive Cosmetics in the Dilovası district of Kocaeli, in which seven people—including three children—lost their lives, took place in Gebze. In a statement made prior to the hearing, the call for justice was reiterated.
Turkey Today – 07.09.2026
The release request of seriously ill prisoner Mehmet Sait Yıldırım was rejected by the Izmir 2nd Execution Judgeship on the grounds that he had allegedly “failed to demonstrate good conduct.”
The Mesopotamians Language and Culture Research and Development Association in Tekirdağ’s Çerkezköy district was targeted in an armed attack overnight. One person was reportedly taken into custody in connection with the attack.
A woman who said she was coerced into prostitution through threats by M.V., a specialist sergeant she met through social media, said: “It wasn’t just me; they dragged other women in this filth too. I want those responsible to be arrested and punished.”
The Mesopotamia Migration Monitoring and Research Association (GÖÇ-DER) applied to Parliament, calling for the rights of displaced people to be guaranteed and for the organization to take part in parliamentary subcommittees to be established.
Under the Medium-Term Programme covering the period 2027–2029, drawn up by the Presidency’s Directorate of Strategy and Budget and the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, the budget ceiling allocated to defence has been increased by 86 per cent.
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Turkey Weekly 1 – 6 September 2026
Turkey Today – 06.09.2026
The statement given to the FBI by Umut Altaş, the fugitive suspect in the Gülistan Doku investigation, has been added to the case file. In his statement, Altaş stated that Mustafa Türkay Sonel had killed Doku and that he had helped to move the body.
At the DEM Party’s 5th Ordinary Congress, Tuncer Bakırhan and Tülay Hatimoğulları were re-elected as co-chairs.
Instagram has closed the Turkish-language account of the Mesopotamia Agency. Citing its ‘Community Guidelines’ as the reason for the closure, Instagram did not allow an appeal or a request for reconsideration.
The prosecution has requested the detention of seven of the 12 people who were taken into custody and brought before the court as part of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) investigation.
Turkey Today – 05.09.2026
Human rights organisations, drawing attention to the situations of the seriously ill prisoner Mehmet Sait Yıldırım in Izmir, Neytullah Bayram in Ankara and Kadir Karabak in Istanbul, called for the release of the sick prisoners.
The Saturday Mothers/People brought attention to the case of Fethi Ildır, whose body was found bearing signs of torture after he was taken into custody in 1993, during their 1,119th week of protest.
Halide Türkoğlu, spokesperson for the DEM Party Women’s Assembly, who emphasised the need for a Women’s Council to ensure women play a key role in the peace process, said that the contacts they had established with female representatives from political parties with parliamentary groups were in the process of developing into a formal organisation.
A re-arrest warrant has been issued for Peyman Pınar Mersinli, the mother of the attacker who was released in the trial concerning the school attack in Maraş in which 10 people lost their lives.
Turkey Today – 04.09.2026
In Diyarbakır, police raided Amargi Culture and Arts Association after midnight, conducting an unannounced search and changing the lock on the association’s door.
Ahead of the election for deputy mayor, four CHP members of the Üsküdar Municipal Council defected to the AKP.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into 36 companies in connection with tenders organised by the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality and its subsidiaries.
Journalist Oya Lale Özan Arslan was detained as part of an investigation launched by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on charges of “publicly disseminating misleading information” and “organised group propaganda”.
The indictment against comedian Deniz Göktaş, who was arrested on the grounds of his ‘Dead Sea’ show, has been accepted. Göktaş, who faces up to 12 years in prison on three separate charges, is due to appear in court on 28 September.
New Party Diyarbakır MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu issued a statement following his visits to the İzmir Aliağa Prison Complex, expressing his outrage at the human rights violations taking place: “There is no longer any judiciary left in Turkey.”
Turkey Today – 03.09.2026
Despite being acquitted in the case against him, dismissed Mardin Co-Mayor Türk will not be able to resume his post for at least another two months following the decision to extend the suspension.
Fifteen people have been taken into custody as part of an investigation launched by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
On the 75th day of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) trial, the requests for release submitted by the detained defendants were heard. The prosecutor at the hearing delivered his closing statement, calling for the continued detention of all the defendants.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into Ahmet Davutoğlu, the former leader of the Future Party, over statements shared on social media that are being treated as an offence of ‘insulting the President’.
Following Amedspor’s 2-1 underdog victory against Turkish football giants Trabzonspor, an individual recorded on the Trabzonspor supporter bus doing hate speech against Kurdish fans was detained yesterday.
Turkey Today – 02.09.2026
President Erdoğan, stating that the government has a roadmap and timetable for the process, said, “Processes that are open to such provocation must not be allowed to drag on for too long.”
Mustafa Karasu, a member of the KCK Executive Council, stated that they expect face-to-face meetings with Abdullah Öcalan to take place in the coming period.
Mazlum Abdi, the SDF Commander-in-Chief who was appointed to the post of ‘Presidential Adviser’ following the announcement that the SDF had been disbanded in Syria, has been removed from Turkey’s ‘terrorist list’.
The case of Mehmet Şimşek, a member of the Revolutionary Youth Associations who was arrested ahead of the NATO Summit and subjected to torture and ill-treatment at Antalya S-Type Prison, was raised in Parliament, calling for an investigation into the incidents.
As part of the investigation into Üsküdar Municipality, in which Mayor Sinem Dedetaş was arrested, Deputy Mayors Amine Cansu Çelik and Mithat Özdemir have been taken into custody.
Turkey Today – 01.09.2026
Drawing attention to the lawlessness that has occurred during the conflict, Erinç Sağkan, President of the Union of Bar Associations, said, “The issue should be viewed not merely as the silencing of weapons, but as the full-scale establishment of a democratic state governed by the rule of law and the fostering of social cohesion through the law.”
Marches were held in Diyarbakır and Istanbul to mark World Peace Day on 1 September, under the slogan ‘Democracy and peace will triumph over war and exploitation’.
Legal organisations, speaking on the occasion of the opening of the judicial year, emphasised the importance of establishing an independent and fair judiciary.
Another suspect detained during the fifth wave of operations carried out as part of the Gülistan Doku investigation has been remanded in custody. The number of detainees in the investigation has risen to 30, whilst proceedings for six suspects are still ongoing at Erzurum Courthouse.
Former Minister of the Interior İdris Naim Şahin, who had gone to Ankara Courthouse to give evidence as part of an investigation into the Süleymancılar community, was referred to the duty magistrate’s court with a request for judicial supervision.
YouTuber Arif Kocabıyık, who was subject to a travel ban abroad on charges of insulting the President and was detained yesterday at the Kapıkule Border Crossing, has been remanded in custody by the court before which he appeared.