The attempted coup in July 2016 highlighted Turkey’s place in the world as a torturing state. However, the use of torture in Turkey is not new. The following research highlights that this is a method of control widely used to suppress political activity. This briefing is based on 60 medico-legal reports produced by Freedom from Torture between February 2012 and March 2017 documenting torture between 1992 to 2015.

In light of the upcoming referendum and Turkey’s continued strategic importance in Europe and the Middle East, a robust response is needed from the Turkish government to end the use of torture which has continued to be used to stamp out political activity. The Turkish government must take immediate steps to publicly reinforce its “zero tolerance” policy, implement laws and policies aimed at preventing torture, and tackle a culture of impunity by investigating all allegations of torture and bringing perpetrators to justice.