In the report released Thursday, the Council of Europe’s human rights monitoring body provided a detailed account of the worsening situation concerning hate speech and hate-motivated violence in Turkey.
It criticized Turkish authorities for their inadequate responses and failure to protect vulnerable communities.
Sharp rise in hate crimes targeting minorities
The report documents an alarming increase in hate speech and hate crimes targeting non-Muslim communities, LGBTI+ people, Syrians, Kurds, and Roma populations.
Although legislation criminalizing some forms of hate speech exists, ECRI found that enforcement is inconsistent and institutional responses are often slow or indifferent.
Widespread hate speech in media and politics
Hate speech is described as “widespread” in Turkish media and political discourse. Frequent targets include Alevis, Muslims, non-Muslim minorities (such as Jews and Christians), Kurds, refugees, migrants, and LGBTI+ people. The report highlights findings by the Hrant Dink Foundation, which has documented persistent discriminatory and inflammatory language against these groups in more than a thousand media outlets.
ECRI notes that political leaders often exacerbate the problem. During the 2023 presidential election, major parties employed xenophobic rhetoric. Syrians were targeted with slogans like “Syrians out,” and presidential candidates promised to deport Syrian refugees en masse. The report cites President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan referring to LGBTI+ people as a “virus of perversion,” echoing other senior officials’ portrayal of LGBTI+ communities as threats to family values and social harmony.
This rhetoric also appears in media coverage. Anti-Armenian sentiment increased during tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia, while anti-Greek rhetoric intensified during Turkish-Greek disputes. Antisemitic hate speech also surged, particularly after Hamas’ October 2023 attacks and Israel’s subsequent military operations.
Civil society marginalized, judicial remedies ineffective
Civil society groups told ECRI that efforts to counter hate speech are being met with hostility from the government. For instance, the İzmir and Ankara bar associations faced prosecution for condemning the Diyanet President’s anti-LGBTI+ statements. Although both were acquitted, the case illustrates the shrinking space for civil society advocacy.
The judiciary’s role in enforcing hate speech laws was also criticized. Articles 122 and 216 of the Turkish Penal Code prohibit incitement to hatred and discrimination, yet they are rarely applied fully. Key categories such as ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, and gender identity are not comprehensively protected under the law, and hate motives are often omitted from official records.
Police and prosecutors inconsistently document hate crimes. In 2021, police recorded 87 hate crime cases, while prosecutors recorded 210, highlighting serious systemic flaws. The lack of systematic data on hate motives hampers policy responses and analysis.
Hate-fueled violence: Mob attacks, murders, threats
ECRI lists disturbing acts of violence driven by ethnic, religious, or sexual identity-related hate. In 2021 alone, civil society reported 64 hate crime incidents to the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), with 42% involving physical violence or murder.
Kurds have been attacked by mobs, including a 2021 incident in which seven members of one family were killed in Konya. In 2024, riots erupted in several cities following an allegation that a Syrian man sexually assaulted a minor. Rioters looted shops, attacked homes, and killed at least one young Syrian. Over 1,000 people were arrested.
LGBTI+ individuals, especially trans people, remain under constant threat. The report documents several murders of trans people since 2019, including the killing of activist Hande Kader in 2016. A trans woman was also murdered in June 2024, highlighting the ongoing danger.
Christian churches – especially Protestant ones – have been targets of arson and vandalism. In January 2024, a Catholic church in İstanbul was attacked by armed men linked to ISIS, killing one worshipper. While authorities responded quickly in this case, other incidents like hate graffiti often go unanswered.
Official response: training without real action
The Turkish government has introduced training initiatives: around 122,000 gendarmerie personnel, over 21,000 police cadets, and more than 250,000 law enforcement officers have received hate crime awareness training. Judges also receive human rights education.
However, ECRI concluded that these efforts, while notable in scale, have not resulted in systemic change or improved outcomes for victims. Key issues persist, such as the absence of a unified hate crime database, narrow legal definitions, and weak engagement between police and marginalized communities.
In one rare example of decisive action, Karabük University students who made racist and sexually charged false claims about African students were arrested in March 2024. Yet such responses remain exceptions.
ECRI calls for major overhaul
ECRI urges Turkey to fundamentally change its approach to hate speech and hate crimes. The report recommends forming an inter-institutional working group to draft a national anti-hate strategy involving government bodies, human rights organizations, and representatives of LGBTI+ and religious minorities.
It also calls for specialized hate crime liaison units within police forces to build trust and improve reporting. Legal frameworks should be revised to ensure effective prosecution of hate crimes and offer specific protections and legal remedies for vulnerable groups.
ECRI warns of a vicious cycle: marginalized communities don’t trust the police and don’t report hate crimes, reinforcing the illusion that such crimes are rare – an illusion that impairs effective policymaking.
Legal recognition still lacking for many minorities
Despite Turkey’s claims of fairness toward minority groups recognized under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, such as Armenian Apostolic, Greek Orthodox, and Jewish communities, gaps persist. Protestant churches face bureaucratic barriers, including construction permit denials and harassment of foreign pastors.
Alevis, a significant religious minority, are still not recognized as distinct from Muslims. While a Directorate for Alevi Affairs was created in 2022 and over 850 cemevis received support via electricity exemptions, the state still refuses to officially classify them as places of worship. Civil society views this as continued discrimination.
Jehovah’s Witnesses and conscientious objectors also face ongoing persecution due to the absence of alternative civilian service. Some objectors report long-term harassment, including pressure from employers to terminate their jobs.
Mixed progress, worsening outcomes
ECRI acknowledges some progress—such as expanded training, local government support, and improved police response—but concludes that hate speech and hate crimes are worsening in Turkey, with institutional responses failing to meet the need.
Recommendations
The report ends with two key recommendations:
- Establishing a comprehensive national anti-hate strategy through a dedicated working group.
- Enhancing collaboration and resource support for municipalities managing large refugee populations.
- These recommendations will undergo follow-up in two years.
(AEK/DT)
Source: BIANET
