This report, issued by the Advocates of Silence Turkey (AST), details an alarming misuse of counterterrorism laws in Turkey to systematically target and dismantle philanthropic efforts supporting the Gülen Movement. It demonstrates how the government’s relentless crackdown on these humanitarian activities not only violates basic human rights but also showcases a broader intolerance towards any form of support for the movement. Through detailed analysis of specific cases, this document highlights the severe consequences of these actions, including arbitrary detentions, legal overreach, and the stifling of essential philanthropic work. Among the numerous cases analyzed, the stories of individuals like Halime Gülsu, Nihat Toktar, Hatice Yıldız, and Halit Dumankaya exemplify the profound personal tragedies behind these statistics. Halime Gülsu, denied essential medical treatment while imprisoned, tragically lost her life, underscoring the dire human cost of these policies. Nihat Toktar, arrested for simply distributing bread to students in need, and Hatice Yıldız, detained for aiding her imprisoned daughter, highlight the indiscriminate targeting of those providing basic humanitarian support. Halit Dumankaya’s case, where a respected business leader was imprisoned for alleged affiliations, further illustrates the scope of the crackdown. These stories, along with hundreds of others not detailed in this report, paint a vivid picture of the widespread human cost of this crackdown. Each narrative underscores the devastating impact of Turkey’s misuse of counterterrorism measures on ordinary lives, compelling an urgent need for a reconsidered approach that respects human rights and the rule of law. Key Findings: • Misapplication of Justice: Individuals have been charged under counterterrorism without concrete evidence, relying heavily on affiliations or baseless accusations. • Suppression of Philanthropy: Philanthropic activities, especially those directed towards families affected by government purges, have been criminalized, portraying acts of charity as terrorism. • Media and Judicial Bias: There is significant governmental influence on both media and judiciary, which undermines the objectivity in reporting and adjudicating cases related to the Gülen Movement. • Human Rights Violations: The aggressive enforcement of counterterrorism laws has led to severe human rights violations, including the denial of medical care, inhumane detention5 The Crackdown on Humanitarian Aid in Turkey conditions, and unwarranted seizures of property. This report calls for international attention and intervention with specific recommendations: 1. Establish independent monitoring bodies to oversee Turkey’s adherence to international human rights obligations. 2. Urge the Turkish government to revise its counterterrorism laws to ensure they cannot be misused to target humanitarian actions. 3. Encourage international human rights organizations to increase support for individuals and families affected by the crackdown in Turkey. In conclusion, the systematic targeting of individuals under the guise of counterterrorism not only disrupts lives but also severely impacts Turkey’s legal and social fabric, questioning the integrity of its commitment to upholding fundamental human rights and freedoms. The global community must respond, ensuring that humanitarian principles guide our actions and that those facing persecution are not forgotten. This is essential for upholding the dignity and rights of all individuals and for maintaining the social cohesion necessary for any functioning democracy.

The jails in Turkey have long been mentioned in the same breath as inhumane actions and the breach of even the most basic rights, especially against the political prisoners. The violations have reached to unprecedented levels in parallel with the emergence of the current political-Islamist authoritarianism. The oppressive regime under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s rule instrumentalized the country’s legal system to muzzle the political dissidence, turning the prisons into concentration camps. The number of inmates behind the bars has reached historic highs. Hosting convicts much more than their capacities, the prisons, which were already substantially subpar, have fallen way below the minimum acceptable standards for human dignity. Patients in particular bore the most of the brunt of this precipitated deterioration of the prison conditions and the wrath of the Turkish regime against its opponents.

Turkey is a rising regional and global power facing, as is the United States, the challenges of political transitions in the Middle East, bloodshed in Syria, and Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons. As a result, it is incumbent upon the leaders of the United States and Turkey to define a new partnership "in order to make a strategic relationship a reality," says a new Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)-sponsored Independent Task Force.

TURKISH MIGRATION POLICY, edited by Ibrahim Sirkeci and Barbara Pusch, aims to shed light on changes in migration policy, determinants beneath these changes, and practical implications for movers and non-movers in Turkey. Nevertheless, one should note that Turkey has only recently faced mass immigration and the number of foreign born has more than doubled in less than five years. Such sudden change in population composition warrants policy adjustments and reviews. Policy shift from "exporting excess labour" in the 1960s and 1970s to immigrant integration today is a drastic but necessary one. Nevertheless, Turkish migration policy is still far from settled as several chapters in this book point out. Despite the exemplary humanitarian engagement in admitting Syrians, Turkey is still at the bottom of the league table of favourable integration policies with an overall score of 25 out of 100. Turkish migration policy is likely to be adjusted further in response to the continuing immigration.

The best country-by-country assessment of human rights. The human rights records of more than ninety countries and territories are put into perspective in Human Rights Watch's signature yearly report. Reflecting extensive investigative work undertaken by Human Rights Watch staff, in close partnership with domestic human rights activists, the annual World Report is an invaluable resource for journalists, diplomats, and citizens, and is a must-read for anyone interested in the fight to protect human rights in every corner of the globe.

The massive dimensions of Syria's refugee crisis—and the search for solutions The civil war in Syria has forced some 10 million people—more than half the country's population—from their homes and communities, creating one of the largest human displacements since the end of World War II. Daily headlines testify to their plight, both within Syria and in the countries to which they have fled. The Consequences of Chaos looks beyond the ever-increasing numbers of Syria's uprooted to consider the long-term economic, political, and social implications of this massive movement of people. Neighboring countries hosting thousands or even millions of refugees, Western governments called upon to provide financial assistance and even new homes for the refugees, regional and international organizations struggling to cope with the demands for food and shelter—all have found the Syria crisis to be overwhelming in its challenges. And the challenges of finding solutions for those displaced by the conflict are likely to continue for years, perhaps even for decades. The Syrian displacement crisis raises fundamental questions about the relationship between action to resolve conflicts and humanitarian aid to assist the victims and demonstrates the limits of humanitarian response, even on a massive scale, to resolve political crises. The increasingly protracted nature of the crisis also raises the need for the international community to think beyond just relief assistance and adopt developmental policies to help refugees become productive members of their host communities.

Investigates the Turkish government's pattern of investigating and prosecuting lawyers, particularly criminal defense lawyers, for terrorism offenses -- sometimes for their efforts to document police abuse and other human rights violations.