The fate and whereabouts of Yusuf Bilge Syrian journalist Majed Shamaa was among Tunç, missing since August 2019, remained those targeted for arrest. unknown at the end of the year. REFUGEES’ AND MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS TURKMENISTAN According to Turkish immigration authorities, as of November Turkey hosted around 5.2 Turkmenistan million refugees and migrants, including 3.7 Head of state and government: Gurbanguly million Syrians with temporary protection Berdymukhamedov status. In July, the authorities announced the Turkmenistan’s human rights record extension of the existing wall at the border remained abysmal. Critics of the with Iran. In the same month, the Van government were subjected to arbitrary Governorship announced that 34,308 people detention and conviction under politically had been prevented from entering the motivated criminal charges. Freedom of country at that border since January. Reports expression was severely limited as was emerged that Turkey continued to push back freedom of religion. Consensual sex to Iran Afghans attempting to enter the between men remained a criminal offence. country irregularly. In August, following the Forced labour during the cotton harvest Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the Turkish continued. The fate and whereabouts of at authorities declared they would not allow least 120 prisoners subjected to enforced arrivals of large number of Afghans. disappearance remained unknown. In August, 145 Afghans were rounded up in BACKGROUND police raids and transferred to a return centre in the district of Tuzla in Istanbul. In the same Turkmenistan remained effectively closed to period, 30 Afghans were arrested in Ankara human rights and other international and detained by immigration authorities monitors. The authorities continued to deny pending deportation. the occurrence of any Covid-19 cases, yet in In September, immigration authorities July they introduced a mandatory vaccination terminated the registration of Syrians for programme for all adults. The economic temporary protection in Ankara and crisis of the previous three years continued, announced the deportation of irregular leading to increased food prices and migrants without protection status or shortages of basic foods. In mitigation, the residence permits. government distributed subsidized food Violent attacks targeting Syrians increased. packages to all households. In September, In August, a large crowd attacked the homes the frequency of these packages was and properties of Syrians in the Altındağ reduced from three times to once per month, district of Ankara following the fatal stabbing which proved inadequate for those most in of a young Turkish national during a street need. fight between Turkish and Syrian youths. REPRESSION OF DISSENT In October and November, immigration authorities arrested and detained, for the The authorities continued to stifle peaceful purpose of deportation, 45 Syrian refugees expression of dissent or criticism. for taking part in a social media trend At the end of June, blogger Murat involving sharing videos of themselves eating Dushemov filmed an interview with a doctor bananas. The trend, which emerged as a in a state clinic, in which he asked about the reaction to a viral video in which a Syrian real situation concerning Covid-19 in the woman was berated by locals claiming they country. On 7 July, he was stopped by police could not afford bananas, was described by at a checkpoint and asked to show proof of a the authorities as being wilfully provocative. negative Covid-19 test. When he asked for Amnesty International Report 2021/22 375