Human rights defenders in Turkey have been subjected to harassment, surveillance, violations of the rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly, judicial harassment including criminal prosecution, violent attacks, arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, torture and killings. The authorities and right-wing groups are believed to be responsible for the majority of the acts of persecution against defenders.

Human rights defenders in Turkey work in defence of a variety of rights including women's rights, minority rights, labour rights, language rights, freedom of expression and the right to due process. The situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the rights of the Kurdish minority are two pressing issues for human rights defenders in Turkey. The UN SRSG on her report on the situation of human rights defenders states, “Turkish defenders come from varied backgrounds, including lawyers, human rights activists, physicians, trade unionists, students, journalists, writers, artists and academics” (E/CN.4/2006/95/Add.5, page 284). Anti-terrorist legislation and legal restrictions on freedom of expression, in particular Article 301 of the Turkish penal code, have been interpreted narrowly and used to prosecute defenders. Peaceful demonstrations organised by human rights organisations have been prohibited or violently dispersed. Government initiatives to monitor human rights violations and bring those responsible to justice which include the establishment of Provincial Human Rights Boards and the Human Rights Advisory Boards have proved ineffective. The UN SRSG carried out an official country mission to Turkey from 11 to 20 October 2004.