Human Rights in Türkiye – Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee
This submission was prepared by the Security Studies and Rule of Law Association (SRL Swiss) for consideration by the United Nations Human Rights Committee in connection with its review of Türkiye.
The submission examines a range of human rights concerns under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including reported enforced disappearances and abductions, allegations of torture and ill-treatment, liberty and security of the person, judicial independence, arbitrary arrest or detention, and fair trial guarantees.
Document Information
Document Type: Civil Society Submission / Shadow Report
Institution: United Nations Human Rights Committee (CCPR)
Country Review: Türkiye – Second Periodic Report
Session: 142nd Session, 14 October–8 November 2024
Original Submission Date: 16 September 2024
Document Number: INT/CCPR/CSS/TUR/59776
Official UN Record: OHCHR Treaty Body Database
Language: English
Key Issues Addressed
The report considers allegations concerning enforced disappearances and abductions, including cases in which individuals were reportedly deprived of their liberty without effective access to legal safeguards or independent investigation. It examines these concerns in relation to the rights to life, liberty and security of the person, access to legal representation and protection against arbitrary detention.
The submission also addresses torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. It reviews reported cases and questions concerning the effectiveness of investigation and accountability mechanisms, safeguards for persons deprived of their liberty and the treatment of individuals held in detention.
A further part of the report focuses on judicial independence and fair trial guarantees. It examines concerns about the practical independence and impartiality of the judiciary, the use of broadly framed concepts in criminal proceedings and the implementation of binding judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. The submission refers in particular to the implications of the Yüksel Yalçınkaya v. Türkiye judgment for fair-trial safeguards and similar proceedings.
The report also raises concerns relating to deaths and serious incidents in detention and calls for effective investigation where circumstances remain disputed or require further clarification. More broadly, it asks the Human Rights Committee to consider whether legal safeguards available in written law are being effectively implemented in practice.
Recommendations
The submission calls for stronger safeguards against enforced disappearance, torture and ill-treatment; effective and independent investigations into reported violations; protection of access to lawyers and family contact; respect for liberty and fair-trial guarantees; and measures to strengthen the practical independence and impartiality of the judiciary.
It also recommends that Türkiye take account of applicable international human rights standards and relevant judgments of the European Court of Human Rights when addressing criminal proceedings, detention practices and judicial safeguards.