Temperature and power dependent photoluminescence (PL) measurements were employed in order to study defects in close-space-sublimation grown polycrystalline cadmium telluride layers that had been activated with different chlorine containing compounds. The samples were either measured as-grown or after thermal treatment in an oxygen containing ambient with and without the chlorine containing compounds such as cadmium chloride, hydrochloric acid, and sodium chloride. The as-grown sample is discussed in detail, in order to then demonstrate the changes in the PL spectra induced by the postdeposition treatments. A deep level transition at 1.32 eV was observed in the as-grown sample which can be correlated with cadmium vacancies. Due to postdeposition treatments this deep level transition disappears and a broad band correlated with A-centers arises instead at about 1.43 eV. Another transition band at 1.479 eV in the as-grown sample is not influenced by any postdeposition treatment. Furthermore, by processing solar cells out of the respective samples, the PL results can be related to the solar cell parameters.