Torture, forced disappearance, arbitrary detention in Turkey, says U.S.

“Alleged torture of detainees in official custody, allegations of forced disappearance; arbitrary arrest and detention under the state of emergency of tens of thousands“ are among the most significant human rights abuses of Turkey, the U.S. State Department noted in its annual Human Rights Practices of 2017 country report. The report lists the following in its first page as the most significant human rights issues of Turkey:

Turkey’s most significant human rights issues included alleged torture of detainees in official custody; allegations of forced disappearance; arbitrary arrest and detention under the state of emergency of tens of thousands, including members of parliament and two Turkish-national employees of the U.S. Mission to Turkey, for alleged ties to terrorist groups or peaceful legitimate speech; executive interference with independence of the judiciary, affecting the right to a fair trial and due process; political prisoners, including numerous elected officials; severe restriction of freedoms of expression and media, including imprisonment of scores of journalists, closing media outlets, and criminalization of criticism of government policies or officials; blocking websites and content; severe restriction of freedoms of assembly and association; interference with freedom of movement; and incidents of violence against LGBTI persons and other minorities.

The Turkey chapter of the report, a yearlong study inspecting human rights violations across the world, covers rights issues in Turkey at a whopping length of 64 pages.

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