Human rights lawyer Eren Keskin discusses the ongoing human rights crisis in Türkiye, the Kurdish issue, and the fate of thousands of Kurdish political prisoners. Drawing on more than three decades of human rights work, she recounts documenting extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and other abuses committed during the conflict in Kurdistan, while explaining why she believes impunity has remained the norm.
She describes the treatment of sick prisoners, solitary confinement, invasive surveillance, strip searches, and other practices that she says violate international human rights standards. She estimates that around 10,000 Kurdish political prisoners—including politicians, journalists, lawyers, students, and activists—remain behind bars, many after decades of imprisonment following unfair trials.
This conversation offers essential context for understanding Turkey's human rights record, Kurdish politics, political prisoners, women's rights, and the prospects for peace and democracy in the region.
This interview was filmed in Istanbul in March 2026 by Eric Agnero and Janet Biehl, for Global South Watch.
