This summer has once again shown how fragile the right to conscientious objection remains in Turkey. Despite international human rights protections, conscientious objectors continue to face prosecution, imprisonment, and constant judicial harassment.
In July, conscientious objector Mehmet Erkin Ekren was taken into custody after the Ankara Regional Court of Appeals upheld his 10‑month prison sentence. He was summoned to the police station, brought before the Kartal Anadolu Courthouse, and then transferred to Maltepe Open Prison. After several days in prison, he was released on July 8 under probationary supervision. Even though his imprisonment was brief, the fact that a conscientious objector was jailed at all highlights the ongoing threat of incarceration and the daily uncertainty they live with.
This case is not an isolated incident. In recent months, other conscientious objectors have also faced prison sentences and detentions. In February, conscientious objector İnan Mayıs Aru was imprisoned after his sentence was finalized, and although he was released a few days later under probation, he still faces multiple ongoing cases amounting to more than two years of potential imprisonment. In April, conscientious objector Mahmut Elkuş was sentenced to five months in prison. These repeated prosecutions reveal a disturbing trend: Turkey is intensifying its pressure on conscientious objectors, disregarding international human rights treaties that explicitly protect this right.
Conscientious objection is a fundamental human right. Turkey’s refusal to recognize it, and its continued persecution of conscientious objectors, cannot be justified. Our struggle for peace and human dignity will not be silenced.
