As the Civic Space Studies Association, we are sharing a new monitoring report that documents the recent increase in rights violations against students and youth in Türkiye.

The study, titled “The Monitoring Report on Rights Violations Against Students and Youth, and the Student Movement in Türkiye, From March 19 to Today,” comprehensively explores the rights violations that university students suffer during the protests that began on March 19, 2025, and created widespread public echo all around the country.

The report was prepared to monitor the rising youth protests in various cities of Türkiye and the violations that occurred during this period, which began with the investigations launched against 105 people, including Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, on March 19, 2025.

The study documents a period when young people turned to the streets not solely to support a political figure but also to defend fundamental democratic principles such as the rule of law, freedom of expression, and the right to assembly.

The report covers the period between March 19 and September 1, 2025. While field data collection was primarily limited by censorship and self-censorship in the media, the report was compiled from open-source data, including national and local press reports, statements from bar associations and human rights organisations, and official announcements from institutions.

In this context, the arbitrary detentions, disciplinary investigations, scholarship cuts, evictions from dormitories, media censorship and physical violence against students and youth were evaluated thematically.

Our report reveals that these violations are not only a violation of individual freedoms but also a political intervention aimed at limiting youth’s presence in the public sphere.

The student movement is seen as a social space where democratic demands are most strongly expressed in the public sphere, and the pressure on this space reflects the general state of democratic rights in Türkiye.