As I mentioned in my previous article, I attended the OSCE Human Dimension Conference on behalf of our foundation. During the first week of the conference, I was in Warsaw; therefore, my notes and reflections are based on what I personally witnessed during that period.
In my earlier article, I provided general information about the conference and referred to the opening statements. In this piece, I would like to focus on whether the issue of human rights violations in Turkiye — a topic closely related to our foundation’s work and brochure — was addressed, and if so, in what context.
To be frank, due to the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war, which directly threatens the whole of Europe, there was limited room for other issues, particularly in the main sessions. Nevertheless, human rights violations in Central Asian countries and those arising from the Azerbaijan–Armenia conflict were widely discussed, with both state-affiliated and independent NGOs actively contributing through speeches and side events.
It is worth noting that the only human rights concern raised about Western Europe came from a Catalan participant, who spoke about violations against Catalans in Spain.
The United States, as an OSCE participating State, did not feature prominently in the discussions either — despite its own ongoing democratic backsliding and human rights concerns. I intend to address that in a future article. For now, I will turn to Turkiye.
References to Turkiye
According to my notes, references to Turkiye — apart from those made by representatives of Turkiye-origin organizations — included the following:
● During the opening session, Berit Lindeman, Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, highlighted that in some participating States, dissenting voices were imprisoned, and noted the increasing number of political prisoners in Turkey.
● The Permanent Representative of Sweden mentioned, in the opening remarks, that Sweden was closely following with concern the worrying human rights violations in Turkiye. In the main session on media freedom, the same representative emphasized that media freedom in Turkiye was under serious threat.
● A civil society representative also addressed the issue of imprisoned journalists in Turkiye.
● In the main session on judicial independence, Mariarosaria Guglielmi, President of MEDEL and an Italian judge, stated that MEDEL monitors developments related to the rule of law across Europe and beyond. She noted that following the 2016 coup attempt in Turkiye, thousands of lawyers, judges, and judicial officials had been dismissed or arrested. She also recalled that the Turkish MEDEL member association had been dissolved and its president — Murat Arslan, recipient of the 2017 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize — remained imprisoned.
Side Events Highlighting Turkey
In the side event titled “Exile Is Not Safe”, a Uyghur journalist shared that he had lived in Turkiye for many years but had to leave after the Turkish government began extraditing Uyghurs to China. He recounted the story of a friend who was deported from Turkiye to China, detained in a camp, and later died there.
In the same session, an Azerbaijani journalist described how, following President of Azerbaijan visit to Istanbul, his accreditation was revoked and he was told to leave Turkiye within ten days or face deportation. Unable to secure a visa elsewhere, he was deported to Azerbaijan, where he spent two years in solitary confinement.
In another side event titled “Behind Bars”, a Turkmen journalist and Dutch citizen reported being detained and interrogated for four hours upon arrival at Antalya Airport, before being sent back to the Netherlands on grounds of “national security.” He added that five dissidents he knew had been deported from Turkiye to Turkmenistan, and their whereabouts remain unknown.
These accounts illustrated that repressive and authoritarian regimes pose a threat not only to their own citizens but also to anyone seeking refuge within their borders.
Also in the same session, a journalist representing the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) from Istanbul, addressed human rights in Turkiye — though, in my view, from a somewhat narrow perspective. I plan to elaborate on that in another article.
Contributions from Turkey-Origin Participants
Meanwhile, a Turkey-origin human rights lawyer representing the Brussels-based Solidarity with Others Foundation, and a Professor from Berlin, both intervened several times during the main sessions. They provided detailed insights into the post-2016 human rights violations in Turkiye — including arbitrary detentions, unlawful practices, and inhumane treatment — emphasizing that tens of thousands had been imprisoned and over 100,000 dismissed from their jobs. They called on OSCE participating States to use available mechanisms and not to remain silent.
Conclusion
Based on my notes from the first week, Turkiye was mentioned on several occasions. However, given the scope of the conference and the scale of human rights violations in Turkiye, I believe the issue deserves even greater attention.
As a foundation, we are determined to be more active in future meetings and conferences, using the knowledge, experience, and networks we have developed with participating States and civil society actors to ensure that these critical issues continue to be heard.
Ömer
