Allegations of torture, including strip searches and ill-treatment, have raised concerns in Turkey, particularly following the detention of students involved in protests following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The claims have been denied by the Turkish government, but legal experts and human rights activists argue otherwise. Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç strongly denied the allegations, saying: “There is no such thing as a strip search in our country. We cannot allow such practices,” insisting that Turkey’s detention laws and regulations are clear and properly followed.
However, lawyers representing the detainees, including 300 students, have strongly disputed the minister’s statements. They argue that the allegations of mistreatment are credible, pointing to several reports from young detainees who have been subjected to strip searches, violence and harsh conditions. One lawyer described the situation as “a fact of naked searches in the police station” and shared concerns about detainees being denied food and water during their detention. The lawyers also pointed out that even a lawyer was held for 12 hours in improper handcuffs at the police station, showing a clear pattern of intimidation and ill-treatment.
Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, a long-time human rights activist and member of parliament for the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, has been vocal about these allegations, stating that dozens of women have approached him with reports of strip searches during recent protests, especially after İmamoğlu’s arrest. Gergerlioğlu condemned the government’s denial of these incidents, saying that the refusal to acknowledge these violations is part of an attempt to avoid having them officially recorded:
"The state is trying to cover up the problem by constantly denying its existence. There's a mindset within the state that says: 'We will always deny the reality of strip searches.'"
Gergerlioğlu also highlighted the fact that detainees who spoke out against strip searches were often subjected to physical violence. He noted that police-controlled medical reports do not recognise injuries, and that many detainees are punished, with methods such as the deprivation of visitation rights, for resisting these abusive practices:
"Detainees are punished not only for resisting strip searches, but also for protesting these unlawful acts."
Gergerlioğlu also referred to a meeting of the UN Committee against Torture in 2024, where a senior official from the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Centres admitted that body searches would be carried out in Turkey until 2020. This contradicted previous claims by the Turkish government, which had previously denied the practice.
These continuing allegations of torture and ill-treatment have led to growing pressure from human rights organisations for an independent investigation. Both lawyers and the families of the detained students insist that their children were only exercising their constitutional rights and are calling for their immediate release from detention.
