Authoritarian regimes have a long-standing history of suppressing critical voices, resorting to intimidation, threats, and even assassinations to silence opposition. The Turkish state, in its pursuit of stifling dissent, has employed a disturbing instrument – mass wave arrests, primarily targeting the Gülen movement. These arbitrary detentions have been carried out with alarming frequency, resulting in the incarceration of tens of thousands of individuals. In this article, we shed light on the extent of this human rights violation, its implications, and the urgent need for remedial action.

Since 2014, the Turkish state apparatus has relentlessly targeted the Gülen movement and its sympathizers. The authorities, aided by the judiciary, have orchestrated daily waves of arbitrary arrests, accusing individuals of being inspired by Gülen. The numbers speak for themselves – a staggering 6,140 waves of mass arrests were conducted between 2014 and 2022, resulting in the detention of over 140,000 people. Disturbingly, an average of 60 individuals are detained every day in at least three separate operations.

Notably, the Turkish authorities have expanded their scope to arrest individuals involved in humanitarian aid efforts. An egregious example occurred on October 18, 2022, when 704 people, including men, women, and individuals of all ages, were unlawfully detained. Their alleged crime? “Trying to help the families of those in prison or released from prison.” Shockingly, such unwarranted arrests have become a grim reality for the Gülen movement for over three years.

The scale and systematic nature of these mass detentions warrant categorizing them as a crime against humanity. Article 7 of the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court, defines crimes against humanity as acts committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population. The arbitrary arrests, coupled with the relentless persecution of Gülen movement members, meet these criteria. The Turkish state’s actions not only violate international human rights norms but also undermine the fundamental principles of justice and freedom.

The ramifications of these arbitrary mass detentions are far-reaching. Journalists, human rights activists, and other critical voices essential for a functioning democracy are being silenced. The Turkish government’s relentless pursuit of suppressing dissent is eroding the rule of law and impeding the realization of basic human rights. Urgent action is required to address this dire situation.

In HRDfactsheet, they have collated facts and figures illustrating the extent of these human rights violations and their consequences. Furthermore, they offer several recommendations to rectify the situation: