Turkish opposition MP reveals disturbing human rights report on Turkish government violations of right to life

ANKARA — The human rights landscape in Turkey remains fraught with significant challenges, marked by egregious violations of fundamental human rights.

On International Human Rights Day, Sezgin Tanrikulu, an opposition Member of Parliament from the Republican People’s Party (Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, CHP), reviewed a report detailing the severe infringements on the right to life in Turkey.

The report grimly states, “In 2023, the right to life of at least 3,300 people in Turkey, including 31 children, was violated.”

Tanrikulu further highlighted that within the same timeframe, no less than 2,000 individuals, including 26 children, endured torture and ill-treatment in prisons and demonstrations.

Addressing the alarming rates of violence against women, children, and workers, Tanrikulu disclosed that 288 women and 23 children lost their lives, and a staggering 1,634 workers faced fatal incidents in 2023 alone. Astonishingly, since the ascent of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, AKP) to power in 2000, a minimum of 32,000 workers have lost their lives.

Under Erdogan’s leadership, Turkey has gained notoriety as one of the most egregious violators of human rights, an unsettling reality that continues to draw international attention.