H.R. 10008: Turkey Human Rights Promotion Act of 2026

This bill would direct the U.S. government to take a tougher stance toward the Government of Turkey over alleged human rights abuses, political repression, censorship, and pressure on critics inside and outside Turkey.

What the bill says Turkey has been doing

The bill lays out a long list of findings saying Turkey has cracked down on journalists, lawyers, judges, opposition politicians, academics, Kurdish activists, religious groups, LGBTQIA+ people, and others. It says Turkish authorities have:

• Used anti-terror and other laws to arrest, detain, or prosecute people for peaceful speech, protest, or association.
• Held large numbers of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.
• Restricted press freedom and blocked websites, social media content, and online platforms.
• Interfered with the courts and limited fair-trial rights.
• Targeted critics living abroad through threats, harassment, renditions, and misuse of INTERPOL notices.
• Used surveillance and censorship tools against dissent.

Policy goals

The bill states that U.S. policy should be to support democracy and human rights in Turkey, oppose misuse of counterterrorism laws, and press Turkey to comply with international human rights standards. It also says the U.S. should try to protect American citizens and lawful permanent residents from harassment linked to the Turkish government.

Actions the bill encourages or requires

The bill includes several specific steps:

• Press freedom: The U.S. should urge Turkey to stop restricting journalists and release those imprisoned for their work.
• Internet freedom: The U.S. should push Turkey to stop blocking websites and censoring online content, and should oppose pressure on social media and streaming companies to remove material.
• Lawyers and fair trials: The U.S. should push Turkey to stop prosecuting lawyers, improve access to counsel, and strengthen judicial independence.
• Accountability: If Turkey does not take effective steps to address the violations described, the President should consider sanctions and visa restrictions on officials involved in repression.

Restrictions on U.S. security assistance

The bill would block certain U.S. security aid to Turkey, including Foreign Military Financing, Foreign Military Sales, and other security assistance, unless the Secretary of State certifies that Turkey has made sustained progress in several areas. Those include:

• Reducing the number of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.
• Stopping misuse of counterterrorism and disinformation laws against peaceful expression and political activity.
• Taking real steps to comply with European Court of Human Rights rulings, including in the cases of Osman Kavala and Selahattin Demirtaş.
• Ending transnational repression of people abroad.

The Secretary of State could waive this restriction if doing so is judged to be in the vital national security interest of the United States.

Assistance for civil society and reporting

The bill would direct the State Department and USAID to expand support for independent media, civil society groups, digital rights organizations, and human rights education efforts related to Turkey. It also would require the State Department to send Congress an annual report for five years on the bill’s implementation, including information about political prisoners, censorship, transnational repression, surveillance tools, and sanctions or visa restrictions used under the act.

Relevant Companies

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