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119-s-5205119th Congress

Turkey Human Rights Promotion Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Senator Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would tie U.S. security assistance to measurable human‑rights improvements and judicial independence in Turkey. It would also expand U.S. backing for political prisoners, independent media, and civil society while enabling targeted sanctions and visa restrictions for officials who commit or enable abuses.

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  • Political prisoners and legal defenders: The bill would authorize U.S. programs to document abuses, support victims, advocate for unconditional release and expungement, and deploy mission staff to observe politically motivated trials.
  • Journalists and civil society: It would fund independent and exile media, digital‑rights and cybersecurity programs, and legal support to protect press freedom and restore access for outlets blocked by Turkish regulations.
  • U.S. security cooperation and accountability: The bill would condition Foreign Military Financing (FMF), Foreign Military Sales (FMS), and other security assistance on a State Department certification that Turkey is reducing prisoners of conscience, complying with European Court of Human Rights rulings, and ending transnational repression. It would require an initial report within 180 days and annual reports for five years and authorize targeted sanctions and visa restrictions with a narrow national‑security waiver.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Blocks security aid until rights improve

If enacted, the bill would bar obligation or expenditure of U.S. security assistance (including Foreign Military Financing and Foreign Military Sales) for Turkey unless the Secretary of State certifies four things: Turkey has reduced the number of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, including releases of those jailed only for peaceful rights work; Turkey has stopped misusing counterterrorism and disinformation laws to criminalize peaceful expression, association, or political participation; Turkey is taking concrete steps to comply with binding European Court of Human Rights judgments (including Osman Kavala and Selahattin Demirtaş cases); and Turkey has ceased systematic transnational repression such as misuse of INTERPOL notices or extraterritorial abductions. The Secretary could waive the restriction case-by-case if the Secretary reports that a waiver is vital to U.S. national security and explains the justification and steps Turkey has taken.

More U.S. help for Turkish civil society

If enacted, the bill would require the State Department and USAID to expand assistance to Turkish civil society, independent and exile media, prisoners of conscience, and political prisoners. The bill would fund documenting abuses, advocacy, legal defense, victim services, and programs for secure communications, privacy, and cybersecurity. It would also direct U.S. mission staff to observe politically motivated trials (including in Southeast Turkey) and to warn and assist at‑risk journalists and media workers regardless of citizenship.

Sanctions, visa bans, and export limits

If enacted, the bill would express congressional support for using Global Magnitsky sanctions on Turkish officials who detain political prisoners or target journalists. It would tell the State Department to impose visa restrictions under the Khashoggi Ban on people who engage in extraterritorial repression, and allow limits on family members when appropriate. The bill would also state U.S. policy opposing exports of surveillance technologies to Turkey that could be used to track journalists, dissidents, or minority communities.

Who counts as a political prisoner

If enacted, the bill would define who is a "political prisoner" for the law. The bill would say a political prisoner includes people detained when detention violates core European Court of Human Rights guarantees, or when detention is imposed purely for political reasons, is disproportionately long or harsh for political motives, is discriminatory, or follows clearly unfair proceedings linked to politics. The bill would also define a "prisoner of conscience" as someone jailed only for peaceful exercise of rights who did not use or advocate violence. These definitions would guide reporting, assistance, and other measures in the bill.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]

MA • D

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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