Turkey

Conscientious Objection Watch shares its mid-year update for 2025. Since the beginning of the year, conscientious objectors have been tried and sentenced to prison for refusing to do compulsory military service. The effects of the deepening economic and political crises in Turkey have begun to have increasingly deeper and more destructive effects on the individual/daily lives of conscientious objectors due to the civil deaths they have been suffering.

On the occasion of International Conscientious Objection Day, we are sharing the voices of conscientious objectors from around the world — individuals who have taken a stand against war and militarism by refusing to serve in the armed forces.

May 15th is International Conscientious Objection Day: a day to remember those who refuse to take up arms or participate in preparations for war. Between now and May 15th, we’ll be sharing events, actions, and activities from around the world so you can see what’s happening in your city or country. Check this page again soon for new information and updates. 

For the last few weeks Turkey has been experiencing one of the most significant and widespread socio-political upheavals in recent years. The detention of Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul, on 19th March triggered an outpouring of anger in Turkey against the government, President Erdoğan and the discomfort caused by the ongoing socio-political-economic crisis. The protests turned into a street mobilisation not seen in Turkey for a long time.

The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rejected Turkey’s appeal against the conviction as an outcome of Murat Kanatlı’s complaint, a conscientious objector who refused compulsory military service in Northern Cyprus. The ECHR’s ruling, issued on September 24, upheld the violation of rights verdict in Kanatlı’s case against Turkey. Ankara was ordered to pay the conscientious objector 9,000 euros in non-pecuniary damages and 2,363 euros for trial and other expenses.

Eighteen years after the ECtHR issued its first judgment in favour of conscientious objector Osman Murat Ülke, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe issued a new interim resolution on violations of the right to conscientious objection to military service in Turkey.

Conscientious objection organisations from Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus jointly wrote an open letter addressing President Erdoğan of Turkey and Prime Minister Mitsotakis of Greece, advocating for regional peace, demilitarisation, and the full recognition of the right to conscientious objection.

Cheddite is a French-Italian company with headquarters in Livorno, Italy and Bourg-lès-Valence, France. They are one of the world’s largest manufacturers of empty shot gun shells and primers.

Found in 1976, Nurol Makina is a Turkish defence company, specialising in the manufacture of armoured vehicles used by military, police, and security forces around the world. Nurol Makina is owned by Nurol Holding, a conglomerate which owns a range of companies covering the construction, defence manufacturing, energy, investment banking and tourism industries. A number of other companies owned by Nurol Holding are focused on manufacturing weapons.

17 years after the first ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in favour of a Turkish conscientious objector, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe now took a surprisingly straightforward stance.

Conscientious Objection Watch (Vicdani Ret Izleme) has published a new report about the still missing right of conscientious objection in Turkey, not only describing the prosecution and punishment but also the consequences for conscientious objectors to live in a state of civil death.

CNO Tech is a South Korean arms company, who manufacturer a range of equipment of weapons for military and law enforcement use, including single and multi-shot “riot” launchers...