Featured stories about Turkey
Stories about Turkey
14 September 2018
One Syrian's harrowing journey to freedom
"For the first time in years we saw streets undamaged by missiles, sidewalks unmarred by shrapnel, and walls unblemished by war."
3 August 2018
Killing speech softly: How the world’s biggest tech companies are quietly censoring critical expression in the Middle East
The failures of tech giants in moderating content in the region is a big and complex problem.
29 June 2018
Turkey looks ahead to a strongman era
The political presence of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is now too dominant to be checked by rivals or institutions.
20 June 2018
A fridge, a kettle and a farm. Metaphors abound in Turkey's troubling presidential election
Humor has emerged as a potent weapon for incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main electoral rivals. He is not amused.
21 March 2018
On World Poetry Day, Some Verses Straight From Persia's Heart
"The sadness in my heart, like a mountain/The heart under your chest, like a stone."
5 February 2018
Justice Deferred: Uproar After Turkish Court Releases, Re-Arrests Amnesty International's Taner Kilic
"The court changed its mind... Why? Who knows, no grounds provided. Devastating for the family and an affront to justice."
29 November 2017
‘The Blind Captain’ Aims to Kayak Solo Across the Bosphorus With the Help of New Technology
"...I used to think one day, this strait, Bosphorus, should be more accessible to blind swimmers, blind surfers or sailors...people should be able to see blind people using boats."
26 October 2017
After 113 Days Behind Bars, #Istanbul10 Human Rights Defenders Are Released Pending Trial
“I don’t have anything to regret. I just did my work as a human rights defender,” Idil Eser told the court.
23 October 2017
Documentary: Lost in the Ruins of Georgia's Soviet-Era Tea Industry
"There was not a single unemployed person in Laituri. Everyone was employed at either the plantation or the factory."
12 October 2017
Comical Unintended Consequences of Turkish President Erdogan's State Visit to Serbia
The warm welcome of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić during a state visit this week incited many satirical comments on nationalism and media freedoms.
#Istanbul10 Human Rights Defenders Have Been Behind Bars for 100 Days
"Gharavi and Steudtner were arrested doing their jobs, imparting knowledge and skills that are essential to the exercise of human rights in the digital age."
4 September 2017
50 Shades of Erdogan's Propaganda
The enemies of Turkey's authoritarian government are everywhere and state propaganda is taking on an increasingly absurd hue.
25 August 2017
Macedonian Citizen Fined 400 Euro For Insulting Turkish President Erdoğan on Facebook
A Macedonian court ordered a person to pay 400 euros for writing "ironical statements and insulted a leader of a foreign country."
5 August 2017
Behind Bars for 30 Days: EU Leaders Condemn Turkey's Detention of #Istanbul10
The European Commission called for the “immediate release” of the group, calling the detentions part of a “deeply worrying pattern” of imprisonment in Turkey.
4 August 2017
‘With Empty Hands But Deep Beliefs,’ Jamal Hosseini Lost His Life Fighting for Human Rights in Iran
The third anniversary of the mysterious death of Jamal Hosseini, a bridge between underground activists in Iran and the global community of human rights activists.
26 July 2017
Who Are the #Istanbul10? Learn About the Work of Jailed Human Rights Defenders in Turkey
A group of human rights defenders and information technology trainers continue to face jail time in Turkey and accusations that they were "aiding a terrorist organization without being a member."
18 July 2017
One Year Later: Why the Purges in Turkey Were Always in the Pipeline
"What has happened in Turkey is a tragedy, made even worse by the fact that the loudest voices in the chorus said the wrong things at the wrong time."
12 July 2017
Human Rights Defenders Are Still Behind Bars in Turkey
In a tweet on behalf of their staff, Amnesty International recalled their efforts to protect (Turkish President) Erdogan when he was arrested in 1998 during a stint as Istanbul's mayor.
8 July 2017
Turkish Opposition Looks to Build Momentum as Their Justice March Reaches Istanbul
“We need to achieve what we couldn't do following Gezi and 16 April. We need to show the decisiveness that would bring the energy of the social opposition to politics.”
7 July 2017
Netizen Report: Working in the Public Interest Can Get You Arrested
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
About our Turkey coverage
Chris Rickleton is the Turkey editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
