human rights defender
Mehmet Türkmen
©
Urgent support needed
He should immediately be acquitted.
Organization affiliation
- United Textile, Weaving, and Leather Workers’ Union (BİRTEK-SEN)
HRD's year of birth
1978
HRD's Gender
Man
Type of HRD
- Trade union leader
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
- Economic, social and cultural rights
- Labour rights
HRD's geographical origin
Semi urban
Current Status
Released
HRD's bio and work
Mehmet Türkmen is the general president of the United Textile, Weaving, and Leather Workers’ Union (BİRTEK-SEN), which was founded in 2022. He has previously been active in the political arena in the labor movement and has been working on workers’ rights for many years.
Detained since
Mar 16, 2026
Date of release
May 12, 2026
Charge(s)
- Spreading fake news
Sentence
Not sentenced, only kept in pre-trial detention
Latitude: 36.994258258521114
Longitude: 37.37548828125001
Geolocation of detention
Country or area of detention
Region of detention
- Asia: Western Asia
Location of detention - City/Town
Gaziantep
Location of detention - Facility
Gaziantep E-Type Closed Prison
Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
On May 5, 2026, he was placed in solitary confinement for defending the rights of a sick detainee; while being taken to the cell, his arms were pulled backward and upward, causing tenderness in the muscles of his left arm.
Recent case update / evolution
As of May 2026, the trial is pending.
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