In Turkiye, the suppression of civic space and the freedom of peaceful assembly has reached a critical threshold, as anti-terror legislation is increasingly weaponised to crush legitimate civil society initiatives. Ahead of the NATO Summit held in Ankara, authorities launched a sweeping and arbitrary wave of pre-emptive detentions aimed at preventing potential mass protests. This security-driven crackdown targeted political party members, journalists, and environmentalists, leading to the arrest of 178 individuals, including the Ankara Provincial Representative of the TEMA Foundation, one of the country's oldest and most respected environmental organisations, alongside 42 other nature volunteers.

The most alarming and poignant illustration of this ongoing crackdown was the wrongful detention and imprisonment of Ayten Yakut, a 75-year-old retired teacher and dedicated TEMA volunteer known for her work instructing children in environmental projects. Detained on 23 June 2026, Yakut was formally remanded in custody on 25 June on groundless allegations of membership in an outlawed terrorist organisation. During police and prosecutorial interrogations, these elderly environmental advocates, ranging in age from 60 to 79, were subjected to absurd and baseless questioning, including whether they had received "armed combat training" or used "code names".

Following widespread public outrage and prompt legal appeals by her defense counsel, the Magistrates Court of Ankara ordered Yakut's release under judicial control on 1 July 2026, citing her advanced age and chronic health condition. While her release is a positive step, it does not erase the psychological and physical toll of her arbitrary detention. This case is not an isolated incident; rather, it is part of a broader, systematic pattern of judicial harassment employed by the state to frame peaceful environmental advocacy as a national security threat, thereby intimidating dissenting voices through the threat of imprisonment and paralyzing civil society.

As Rights Defenders, we urge the authorities of the Republic of Turkiye and the international community to take immediate action:

Drop All Charges: The baseless "terrorist organisation membership" charges against Ayten Yakut and all other TEMA volunteers subjected to judicial harassment must be dropped immediately, and their judicial control restrictions must be lifted.

End Judicial Harassment: The misuse of anti-terror laws and Peace Judgeships as tools of intimidation to punish, silence, and deter civil society activists, nature defenders, and peaceful critics must come to an end.

Protect the Rights of Elderly and Sick Detainees: The practice of placing elderly individuals and those with chronic medical conditions in pre-trial detention, the most severe restrictive measure, in the absence of any concrete risk of flight or tampering with evidence must be halted, and international humanitarian standards must be strictly upheld.

Safeguard Civic Space: Administrative restrictions hindering the freedom of peaceful assembly, association, and protest must be repealed, and civil society activities focused on environmental protection and human rights must be legally guaranteed.

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