02.07.2008 - Source: Freedom House

Annual survey of political rights and civil liberties 2007 ("Freedom in the World 2008") [ID 23650]

Document(s): Open document

28.05.2008 - Source: Amnesty International

Annual Report 2008 (covering 2007) ("Annual Report 2008") [ID 23422]

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007 ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22496]

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: Minority Rights Group International

Annual report on the current situation of minorities ("State of the World's Minorities 2008") [ID 22681]

Document(s): Open document

31.01.2008 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Annual report on human rights situation in 2007 ("World Report 2008") [ID 22207]

Document(s): Open document

07.2007 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Report on freedom of expression, harassment and prosecution of Kurdish political party officials, impunity and police ill-treatment ("Human Rights Concerns in the Lead up to July Parliamentary Elections") [ID 24592]

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Country report on human rights 2006 ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 18910]

Document(s): Open document

08.2005 - Source: Freedom House

Political rights and civil liberties ("Freedom in the World 2005") [#41585],  [ID 13394]

Document(s): Open document

29.06.2005 - Source: Freedom House

Report on civil liberties ("Countries at the Crossroads 2005") [#41974],  [ID 13395]

for more detailed information seek out original document below

"Many of the EU harmonization reforms that Turkey has passed since 2001 have been specifically geared toward protection of civil liberties, including increased minority and women's rights, broadened freedom of association and religion, stronger measures to protect against and prosecute torture, and a more democratic penal code. Turkey signed a European convention protocol abolishing the death penalty in January 2004 and made relevant legal changes over the summer. Moreover, the government is watching implementation closely. It has set up rights-monitoring boards such as a Reform Monitoring Group, created in September 2003, and thousands of police, judges, and public prosecutors have participated in human rights training. In June 2004 the Council of Europe decided to end its monitoring of Turkey due to the country's progress in human rights. Nevertheless, problems remain, particularly (although not entirely) with implementation."

Document(s): Open document

19.05.2005 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

National Human Rights Protection ("Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2005 (Events of 2004)") [#32120],  [ID 13396]

"Turkey made major modifications to its legislation with a view to protecting human rights and democratizing the country in connection with the EU accession process. A paragraph was added to article 90 of the Turkish Constitution, recognizing the supremacy of "international agreements in the area of fundamental rights and freedoms duly put into effect" over national law. A new Penal Code was also enacted, which came into force in April 2005, amending key provisions that had led to the prosecution of peaceful speech and introducing provisions against "honor killings" and the trafficking of women.

The main agency of the central government concerned with human rights was the Human Rights Presidency, tasked to monitor human rights legislation and implementation in Turkey alongside the government's Reform Monitoring Group. Eighty-one provincial and 832 district human rights boards also operated under the Human Rights Presidency. Provincial governors or district sub-governors headed the local boards of human rights, which were comprised of public officials, representatives of NGOs and of universities who were invited by administrative officials to sit on the boards. Human rights NGOs generally avoided participating in the boards, arguing that they were not independent or effective.

A Human Rights Advisory Board was intended to provide a platform for consultations with academics and the relevant NGOs. In February 2004, 25 NGO and university members of the board released a public letter to the state minister responsible for human rights, criticising the minister and the Human Rights Presidency for not consulting the board on any issues relating to the reform process and the affairs of the board itself. The government displayed contempt for the Human Rights Advisory Board after the adoption of a report on minority rights that admitted the existence of official discrimination against minorities. Fourteen academics and NGO representatives were notified that they were dismissed from the board as of February 2005.

The major civil society actors in the field of human rights were the Human Rights Association (HRA), the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (HRFT), the Organisation for Human Rights and Solidarity with Oppressed People (Mazlum-Der), the Helsinki Citizens' Association (HCA) and the Amnesty International Branch of Turkey. Several women's and children's rights groups and platforms were also active. Human rights organisations, especially the HRA, faced judicial harassment with about 500 prosecutions against HRA and its officials."

Document(s): Open document

28.02.2005 - Source: US Department of State

Human Rights: significant improvements in a number of areas, serious problems remained. ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2004") [#29519],  [ID 13397]

"The Government generally respected the human rights of its citizens; although there were significant improvements in a number of areas, serious problems remained. Security forces reportedly killed 18 persons during the year; torture, beatings, and other abuses by security forces remained widespread. Conditions in most prisons remained poor. Security forces continued to use arbitrary arrest and detention, although the number of such incidents declined. Lengthy trials remained a problem. Convictions of security officials accused of torture remained rare, and courts generally issued light sentences when they did convict. In politically sensitive cases, the judiciary continued to reflect a legal structure that favors State interests over individual rights. The State and Government continued to limit freedom of speech and press; harassment of journalists and others for controversial speech remained a serious problem. At times, the Government restricted freedom of assembly and association. Police beat, abused, detained, and harassed some demonstrators. The Government maintained some restrictions on religious minorities and on some forms of religious expression. At times, the Government restricted freedom of movement. The Government restricted the activities of some political parties and leaders, and sought to close the pro-Kurdish Democratic People's Party (DEHAP). The Government continued to harass, indict, and imprison human rights monitors, journalists, and lawyers for the views they expressed in public. Violence against women remained a serious problem, and discrimination against women persisted. Trafficking in persons, particularly women, remained a problem. Child labor was a widespread problem."

Document(s): Open document

26.05.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Annual Report 2004 (covering 2003) ("Annual Report 2004") [#22730],  [ID 13398]

Document(s): Open document
Open document

13.04.2004 - Source: European Parliament

Annual report on human rights in 2003, including a list of individual cases raised by the European Parliament ("Annual Report on human rights in the world in 2003 and the European Union's policy on the matter [2003/2005(INI)]") [#21757],  [ID 13400]

Document(s): Open document
Open document Open document

04.2004 - Source: UK Home Office

Country Report - April 2004 ("Country Report - April 2004") [#22443],  [ID 13401]

Document(s): Open document

01.05.2003 - Source: International Federation for Human Rights

Report on implementation of legal provisions introduced to prevent torture in detention (no decrease in practice, fair trial, access to lawyers, right to appeal, impunity, F-Type prisons); based on fact finding mission in December 2002/January 2003 ("International Investigative Mission: Turkey: Torture, still a routine practice.") [#12386],  [ID 13402]

Document(s): Open document

15.04.2002 - Source: Council of the European Union

Report on the general situation in the country/ human rights issues highlighted ("Note from the Netherlands delegation to CIREA: Official general report on Turkey, January 2002" Rf. 7838/02") [#7991],  [ID 13410]

Document(s): Open document