Turkish human rights advocate Şebnem Korur Fincancı shared with Ahval her reflections on last week's United Nations periodic review of Turkey, which focused on the country's human rights violations including the use of torture.

Turkey in an embarrassing situation after Assad captures key Idlib town - expert

Political repression and curtailed freedoms have earned Turkey a troubling reputation abroad in recent years. For generations of western artists and intellectuals in the 20th century, though, the country was a haven, and many congregated in Istanbul to lead a lifestyle of freedom, far from the Cold War repression of their own countries.