The AKP regime in Turkey continues its crackdown on individuals accused of ties to the Hizmet Movement, described by some as “genocide” operations. Today, coordinated raids across 66 provinces led to the detention of 459 people.
The Brussels-based human rights organization, Solidarity with Others, released a statement condemning these detentions, emphasizing that they violate the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling in the Yalçınkaya case. The statement included the following remarks:
“This morning in Turkey, 459 individuals dismissed from their professions by emergency decree were detained during operations conducted in 66 provinces. These detentions persist despite the ECHR’s Yalçınkaya decision, which ruled that activities such as using ByLock, depositing money in Bank Asya, or membership in certain unions are not valid grounds for criminal accusations. By continuing these arrests, the Turkish government is blatantly disregarding international law and its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.”
The United Nations Human Rights Committee echoed similar concerns in its Concluding Observations issued on November 7, 2024. The Committee stated that mass detentions of individuals alleged to have ties to the Gülen Movement lack fair trial guarantees and constitute violations of basic human rights. It called on Turkey to end these arbitrary practices and comply with international human rights standards. Despite these warnings, the Turkish government continues to pursue repressive policies, unjustly targeting dismissed public employees and opposition members.
