Responding to this morning’s arrest of Öztürk Türkdoğan, the President of Turkey’s most prominent human rights organisation during raids in which up to ten other individuals were also detained, Amnesty International’s Senior Research Adviser for Europe, Esther Major said:

“The detention of Öztürk Türkdoğan is outrageous. With ink barely dry on 128-page Human Rights Action Plan announced by President Erdoğan two weeks ago, his arrest reveals this document is not worth the paper it is written on.

Öztürk Türkdoğan must be immediately and unconditionally released. His arrest makes a mockery of Turkey’s hollow attempts to improve its image on human rights

“Ironically Öztürk Türkdoğan, the head the country’s most prominent human rights organisation, was among those consulted by the Ministry of Justice before the drafting of the Action Plan.

With ink barely dry on 128-page Human Rights Action Plan announced two weeks ago, his arrest reveals this document is not worth the paper it is written on

“Öztürk Türkdoğan must be immediately and unconditionally released. His arrest makes a mockery of Turkey’s hollow attempts to improve its image on human rights. The criminalisation of human rights defenders and of the Human Rights Association has to end. Turkey must abide by its international obligations to protect human rights defenders and facilitate their work.”