Summary of concerns and recommendations

Executive Summary

This briefing details current areas of concern in Turkey, particularly in relation to freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression.

The Turkish constitution provides for freedom of belief, worship and the private expression of religious ideas, while prohibiting discrimination on religious grounds. Although officially a secular state, Turkey is caught between its secular and Islamic identities. In recent years the nation has taken some positive steps to address the concerns of religious minorities and to uphold freedom of religion or belief; however, problems remain in the areas of identity cards, education, and registration of church buildings. Christians, Alevis and Baha’is can face daily discrimination, and even instances of violence and vandalism against these groups and their property.

Freedom of expression and the right to hold divergent opinions without suffering harassment continues to be threatened, with the Turkish government yet to make significant improvements in this area. To the contrary, the government has implemented the more restrictive elements of the country’s penal code, using it to detain journalists, opposition figures, academics, students and other dissenting voices, as seen most notably during the crackdown on the Gezi Park protests of 2013 and attempts to ban the use of social media in the country.

Download the report 890KB