Türkiye filed the most ‘rights violation applications’ to the ECHR in 2025
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has published its 2025 Annual Report, along with an overview of its case law.
Türkiye remains the most complained-about country
According to the report, 18,464 applications were filed from Türkiye in 2025. Although this figure marks a significant decrease compared to the 21,600 applications made in 2024, Türkiye remained the most complained-about country among Council of Europe (CoE) member states.
It is stated that more than 80 percent of the applications originating from Türkiye stem from detentions, arrests, and trials linked to the measures taken after the coup attempt of July 15, 2016.
In 2025, the Court announced rulings in a total of 74 cases regarding individual or group applications against Türkiye. In 66 of these, it ruled that at least one article of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) had been violated, while it found no violation in six. Two cases were reported to have been concluded through other methods.
The highest number of violation rulings against Türkiye was given on the basis of the article concerning the right to a fair trial, with 24 cases. This was followed by the article related to the right to liberty and security, with 21 cases.
Record number of applications expected in 2026
Türkiye is followed by Russia (7,177), Ukraine (4,004), Poland (3,517), Italy (2,787), Greece (2,562), Romania (2,489), and Azerbaijan (2,180). According to the report, the total number of applications at the ECHR decreased by 11 percent last year, falling to 53,450. However, a record number of applications is expected in 2026.
ECHR sources shared information that approximately 650 new applications have been filed against Türkiye since the beginning of the year. It was noted that the majority of the new applications were made by individuals who were dismissed from their professions following the July 15 coup attempt.
Foreseeing that a mass wave of applications containing the same or similar complaints may occur in the near future, the ECHR put some special measures into effect as of January 1, 2026, in order to "effectively manage these applications administratively."
These measures include submitting applications with a cover page, applicants downloading the official application form from the Court's website, filling it out electronically, and ensuring that both the cover page and the application form are filled out separately for each applicant, printed, and sent in this manner.
Applications from sports clubs on the rise
ECHR sources also drew attention to the increase in applications coming from sports clubs in Türkiye. There are currently approximately 60 applications on the ECHR agenda specifically concerning the independence of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) Arbitration Board. In a decision reached at the beginning of this month, the ECHR ruled that the independence of the Arbitration Board was insufficient.
