Suspicious Deaths And Suicides On The Rise In Turkey With 54 People In Last 8 Months


Date posted: March 22, 2017

Against the background of massive crackdown on critics and opponents in Turkey and widespread torture practices in detentions and prisons, 54 people were reported to have lost their lives, most under suspicious circumstances and under lock-up in the last eight months, a report released by Stockholm Center for Freedom (SCF) has revealed.

“Turkish government is responsible for the lives and well-beings of the people who are imprisoned, yet we have seen an unprecedented spike in the reported suicide cases under the watch of authorities,” Abdullah Bozkurt, the President of SCF said.

“The suspicious deaths, described by authorities as suicides, has not only taken place in jails but also beyond the prison walls amid psychological pressure and threats of imminent imprisonment and torture following the release of suspects or before the detention,” he added.

It is difficult to obtain details of fatalities that occur in jails, detentions or other places because of the fact the Turkish government is not forthcoming with the information and that relatives are afraid of talking to investigators and reporters. Yet, SCF has identified 54 cases in less than a year, mostly from publicly available data by scouring news reports on print and online sources.

In some cases, deaths are believed to have taken place after severe torture suspects were subjected in Turkey’s prisons and detention centers. In several cases, suspects reportedly took their lives immediately before an imminent arrest or right after the release, raising suspicions of a foul play on the part of authorities. The psychological pressure by the government and trauma of being targeted as part of an unprecedented witch-hunt campaign targeting critics and dissidents in Turkey have also played a role in some reported suicide cases, many believe.

Just like so many cases of torture and ill-treatment of suspects in Turkey, widely reported by credible intergovernmental institutions including the United Nations and the Council of Europe as well as non-governmental organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, there has been no effective, independent and through investigation into these suspicious deaths.

SCF believes the true number of deaths under the extended emergency rule since July of last year in Turkey is still unknown. Moreover, it remains highly concerned over reports that the government runs secret and unofficial holding centers for some who were abducted with a total disregard to a due process.

SCF considers the information presented in this research is accurate to the best of its knowledge and declares that it remains open to make corrections, updates if further information becomes available.

Source: Stockholm Center for Freedom , March 22, 2017


Related News

Keep Incirlik, Extradite Gülen?

A true ally would not try to obstruct the international campaign against the Islamic State for the sake of a leader’s personal vendetta. To acquiesce to the extradition [of Fethullah Gulen] would be to signal that it’s open season to blackmail the United States.

Kimse Yok Mu to distribute 90,000 food packages during Ramadan

The Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There) charity foundation will be offering aid packages to 90,000 families in all the 81 provinces during the holy month of Ramadan. The fasting month of Ramadan, deemed the sultan of all the months by Muslims, is considered the most venerated, blessed and spiritually beneficial month of the Islamic […]

Case of Calgary imam accused of plotting failed coup in Turkey will remain in limbo

Davud Hanci’s court appearance has been delayed. He was expected to appear today before a judge by video conference on allegations he helped orchestrate Turkey’s failed coup attempt last summer.

Diverging points between AKP and Hizmet movement: Kurdish question

The fundamental difference Popp observed is that while the government has been trying to persuade the PKK to lay down its guns, the Gulen movement goes one step further and works to remove the social and cultural problems that caused the Kurdish problem.

Gülen’s lawyer warns about possible doctored tapes

Lawyer Nurullah Albayrak in a written statement referred to lies and defamation about Gülen in the media which have become widespread and said Gülen’s phone calls have been illegally wiretapped. “These calls are reported in the media without taking any ethical principles into consideration,” he said, adding that it is very likely there will be edited phone calls as part of a black propaganda campaign against Gülen.

Purge of ‘parallel state’ or legitimizing discrimination

The profiling of religious Muslim students who are part of the Hizmet movement caused them to be barred from obtaining high positions such as being academics at state institutions, according to Aymaz.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Turkey Faces Its Iran 1979 Moment

Kimse Yok Mu heals the wounds of flood victims in Sudan

The state, AKP, Religious Affairs Directorate, Alevis and rights

Don’t lose the plot

Commentary: Abuses rampant in wake of Turkish coup

Burma/Thailand: Deported Turkish Man at Risk

Gülen issues message of condolences for slain prosecutor Kiraz

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News