Statement at the UN Human Rights Council's 60th Session
Adoption of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report of Türkiye
Delivered by Olimjon Bakhtaliev
Mr President,
CIVICUS welcomes Türkiye’s engagement in the UPR process and its stated commitment to human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
We regret, however, that despite accepting 25 civic space–related recommendations in the previous cycle, Türkiye continues to severely restrict fundamental freedoms. Many recommendations in this cycle were not accepted on the grounds that they had already been implemented, yet the situation on the ground shows the opposite.
Repression of civic space and civil society in Türkiye has intensified. The country was placed on the latest CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist amid the violent suppression of protests. In March, after Istanbul’s mayor was jailed, nearly 2,000 people — including peaceful protesters, lawyers and journalists — were detained and rushed through mass trials. In June, police brutally dispersed Istanbul Pride and Trans Pride, detaining 95 people and arresting three — the first Pride-related arrests in Türkiye’s history. Recent protests against a court-appointed trustee for Istanbul’s branch of the Republican People’s Party also faced protest bans, excessive force, arrests and social media throttling.
Freedom of expression remains severely restricted, with widespread censorship and blocking of websites and other online content. In 2024 alone, 36 journalists were convicted with sentences totalling nearly 100 years. Critical voices — including media, lawyers, protesters, human rights defenders and social media users — face criminalisation and detention under broad laws on terrorism, spreading false information and insulting the President.
We urge the Government of Türkiye to end these repressive practices and uphold its international human rights obligations.
We thank you.
