Post-coup purges and institutional transformation
The attempted coup of July 15, 2016 triggered one of the largest post-coup purges in modern political history. Turkish authorities launched extensive investigations targeting individuals suspected of links to the Fethullah Gülen movement, which has been designated as the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) by Erdoğan’s regime.
According to official figures and monitoring reports, 390,354 individuals were detained between 2016 and 2025, while 113,837 arrests were recorded in operations connected to the coup investigations. Within the Turkish Armed Forces alone, more than 15,000 military personnel, including senior officers and generals, were dismissed or imprisoned.
Emergency decrees issued after the coup resulted in the dismissal of 125,678 public employees, including judges, teachers, police officers, academics, and civil servants. These measures relied on tenuous evidence, such as alleged digital traces or suspected association with banned organizations.
These institutional purges significantly reshaped the structure of the Turkish state, raising concerns regarding due process guarantees and judicial independence.
Political opposition and electoral environment
Political pluralism in Turkey has been significantly constrained through judicial investigations and administrative interventions targeting opposition parties and elected officials.
One of the most prominent recent cases concerns the legal proceedings and imprisonment of Ekrem İmamoğlu, mayor of Istanbul widely considered one of the leading opposition figures in Turkish politics.
Since 2016, more than 150 elected mayors, primarily from opposition or pro-Kurdish parties, have been removed from office and replaced by government-appointed trustees. Similar interventions occurred at the municipal level, including the replacement of local officials such as Ahmet Ozer, mayor of Esenyurt following arrest and detention.
The main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), has faced a combination of legal and administrative pressures aimed at weakening its institutional capacity and electoral influence.
Media freedom and freedom of expression
Freedom of expression in Turkey has deteriorated significantly over the past decade. Independent media outlets have been systematically closed, placed under state trusteeship, or subjected to heavy fines and regulatory pressure.
Journalists frequently face criminal charges under anti-terrorism legislation or laws criminalizing “insults against the president.” Surveillance, internet censorship, and temporary broadcasting bans are regularly employed to restrict critical reporting.
A prominent example includes the prosecution of journalist Merdan Yanardağ, who was convicted on charges related to alleged terrorism propaganda.
Turkey has repeatedly ranked among the world’s leading jailers of journalists, according to international monitoring organizations.
Journalist detentions and media statistics
As Turkey entered 2025, monitoring assessments indicated that approximately 18 journalists remained imprisoned in the country. In earlier years the numbers were significantly higher; in 2021 some reports documented up to 42 jailed journalists.
Political prisoners and judicial pressure
Determining the precise number of political prisoners in Turkey remains difficult due to the absence of an official legal definition. Authorities typically publish general prison statistics without distinguishing criminal and politically motivated cases.
However, available data suggest substantial numbers of detainees linked to politically sensitive investigations. According to the U.S. Department of State, approximately 15,050 individuals are detained for alleged links to the Gülen movement.
Human rights organizations estimate that around 8,500 additional detainees are held in cases related to the PKK insurgency.
Political prisoners frequently face denial of parole or early release, reportedly based on discretionary or arbitrary criteria.
Extraterritorial operations
Turkey’s intelligence services have been involved in extraterritorial operations targeting dissidents abroad, including alleged abductions and forced repatriations of individuals accused of links to the Gülen movement. These operations have raised concerns regarding violations of international law and the protection of asylum seekers.
Conclusion
Turkey’s political and institutional trajectory over the past decade reflects a sustained shift toward centralized executive power and weakened democratic safeguards. The combined effects of mass purges, extensive detention practices, restrictions on media and civil society, and judicial interventions in political life have significantly reshaped the country’s democratic landscape, being among the top 10 nations for democratic backsliding over the past decade.
Turkey violates the provisions of the Treaty in the preamble “The Parties to this Treaty are determined to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilization of their peoples, founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law” and Article 2 “The Parties will contribute toward the further development of peaceful and friendly international relations by strengthening their free institutions”.