Category Archives: Turkey

Amnesty Issues Urgent Action: Hundreds at Imminent Risk of Forced Eviction

Posted on June 29, 2017 by heissenstat

Amnesty International today issued an Urgent Action calling on Turkey to halt forced evictions in the Sur District of Diyarbakir. Hundreds of residents in the Alipaşa and Lalebey neighbourhoods of the Sur district in Diyarbakır province, southeastern Turkey, are at … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty International, Kurds, Turkey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Amnesty Issues Urgent Action: Hundreds at Imminent Risk of Forced Eviction

Amnesty issues report on displacement of hundreds of thousands in Turkey

Posted on December 5, 2016 by heissenstat

  Amnesty International has just issued an extensive and deeply researched 31 page report detailing “the desperate  plight of families forced out of the historical centre of Diyarbakir” through massive security operations and round-the-clock curfews.  “Homes in the once-bustling district have been … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty International, Andrew Gardner, Excessive Force, Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Expression, Minorities, Refugees, Teargas, Turkey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Amnesty issues report on displacement of hundreds of thousands in Turkey

Amnesty: HDP deputies detained amid growing onslaught on Kurdish opposition voices

Posted on November 4, 2016 by heissenstat

The detention of 12 deputies from the Kurdish-rooted leftist Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP) since last night marks the latest escalation in the onslaught on dissent amid Turkey’s state of emergency, Amnesty International said today. The detentions – on a range … Continue reading →

Posted in Due Process, Erdogan, Freedom of Association, Freedom of Expression, Kurds, Minorities, Turkey, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Amnesty: HDP deputies detained amid growing onslaught on Kurdish opposition voices

Amnesty: Latest detention of journalists a “blatant misuse of powers”

Posted on November 1, 2016 by heissenstat

In response to this Monday’s detention of 11 journalists and staff from Cumhuriyet newspaper and the shutting down of 15 media outlets over the weekend, Amnesty International’s Europe Director, John Dalhuisen, said: Today’s detention of journalists and staff from Turkey’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty International, Freedom of Press, Turkey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Amnesty: Latest detention of journalists a “blatant misuse of powers”

Amnesty calls for independent monitors as allegations of torture mount

Posted on July 24, 2016 by heissenstat

In the aftermath of a failed coup attempt, Amnesty has seen mounting evidence of human rights abuses, including a further clamp down on freedom of expression and mass arrests. The detention of human rights lawyer Orhan Kemal Cengiz and the raid … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Andrew Gardner, Due Process, Excessive Force, Impunity, Torture, Turkey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Amnesty calls for independent monitors as allegations of torture mount

Amnesty on State of Emergency in Turkey

Posted on July 22, 2016 by heissenstat

Amnesty International issued a press release yesterday, July 21, on the newly declared State of Emergency in Turkey.   The text is below: President Erdogan’s announcement of the imposition of a state of emergency must not pave the way for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty International, Andrew Gardner, Excessive Force, Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Press, Military, Turkey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Amnesty on State of Emergency in Turkey

Amnesty: Rights must be respected in aftermath of failed coup

Posted on July 18, 2016 by heissenstat

In response to a shocking coup attempt by elements of the military at overthrowing the elected government of Turkey, Amnesty International issued the following statement: Turkey is still reeling from a night of violence in which a coup attempt from … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty International, Andrew Gardner, Due Process, Turkey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Amnesty: Rights must be respected in aftermath of failed coup

Amnesty: Turkey’s escalating abuses risk return to dark days of 1990s

Posted on July 5, 2016 by heissenstat

The message of Amnesty’s latest statement on abuses in Turkey’s on-going operations in south eastern Turkey could hardly have been clearer.  Things are getting much, much worse, with  “growing evidence of severe human rights violations, including torture and impunity for human … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty International, Anti-terrorism, Excessive Force, Freedom of Expression, Impunity, Kurds, Military, Minorities, Terrorism, Torture, Turkey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Amnesty: Turkey’s escalating abuses risk return to dark days of 1990s

Condolence Book for Tahir Elçi

Posted on April 13, 2016 by heissenstat

Human rights lawyer/defender Tahir Elçi was shot dead in Diyarbakir on 28 November 2015. You may recall that Amnesty International organised a public meeting to pay tribute to him in January, attended by his wife, Turkan  Elçi, and one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty International, Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Press, Impunity, Kurds, Minorities, Terrorism, Turkey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Condolence Book for Tahir Elçi

With President Erdogan in Washington, Amnesty Plans Rally to Protest Abuses [Updated]

Posted on March 29, 2016 by heissenstat

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is in Washington DC for the next few days as part of Nuclear Security Summit.  Please join Amnesty International’s rally to protest continuing human rights abuses in Turkey this Thursday, March 31. Time: 11:30 am Where: … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty International, Excessive Force, Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Expression, Turkey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on With President Erdogan in Washington, Amnesty Plans Rally to Protest Abuses [Updated]