On Wednesday, June 3^rd, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC), will chair a congressional hearing on the challenges to freedom, rule of law and democracy in Turkey.

                In the aftermath of recent electoral setbacks for the ruling party, the Turkish government has intensified its crackdown on political opposition, independent media, civil society, religious minorities, and perceived critics at home and abroad.

                Human rights advocates estimate that over 15,000 political prisoners remain incarcerated in Turkey, including journalists, lawyers, elected officials, academics, civil society leaders, and democracy activists. The government continues to target Kurdish politicians and religious activists, and growing concerns regarding transnational repression directed at critics residing outside Turkey.

                Residents of Turkey also face escalating censorship and restrictions on freedom of expression, including court-ordered blocking of online content, social media accounts, and opposition news platforms; criminal investigations and prosecutions targeting online speech. The government continues to repress religious and ethnic minorities in Turkey, including through restrictions affecting the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Halki Seminary.

                Witnesses will discuss the broader trajectory of democratic backsliding in Turkey, implications for regional stability and the NATO alliance, and policy options available to the United States and Congress in support of democracy and human rights.

WHAT: Congressional hearing on political persecution, election manipulation, and censorship, as well as prospects for a return to democratic governance, judicial independence, free and fair elections, and respect for fundamental freedoms in Turkey.

WHEN: Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at 2:00 PM

WITNESSES: (Partial list)

• Henri Barkey, Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
• Michael Rubin, Director of Policy Analysis, Middle East Forum
• Serkan Golge, Senior Research Scientist, Ex-Political Prisoner in Turkey
• Andrew O’Donohue, Carl J. Friedrich Fellow, Harvard University; Nonresident Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

WHERE: 2128 Rayburn House Office Building and livestreamed here

WHO: Co-Chairs of the TLHRC, other members of the Commission, and witnesses

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