Freedom House: Restrictions on Basic Rights Persist in Turkey

Images: Freedom House

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Turkey continues to be a "not free" country as restrictions on basic rights persist, according to a report by Freedom House, a US government-funded think tank.

The annual report covers 195 countries and considers 83 countries "free," 63 countries "partly free" and 49 countries "not free."

Turkey is in the "not free" category with 32 points. It scored 16 out of 40 in political rights and 16 out of 60 in civil liberties. In the last 10 years, Turkey's score has dropped by 31 points, more than any other country except Burundi.

"Restrictions on basic rights in Turkey persisted throughout 2019, including repression of those speaking out against the state's latest military incursion into northern Syria," the report says.

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Noting the opposition's "landmark victories" in the 2019 local elections, the report stresses that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's power is "still unchecked at the national level." (HA/VK)