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Türkiye

Capital city — Ankara

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Country-profile

Living conditions

Accommodation

Prisoners are accommodated in single cells

no

Originally made for groups of 20 to 30 people, they resembled communal “dormitories” but with time have become smaller. The new model has a maximum capacity of three people in order to limit contact between inmates.

Prisoners sleep on

  • of a bed
  • of bunk beds
  • of a mattress on the ground
  • sleep on the floor

Prison overpopulation deteriorates living conditions. As of October 2017, at least 22,000 prisoners were sleeping on the floor due to lack of available beds. Sometimes prisoners take turns sleeping on the beds; some sleep during the day, others at night.

All the prisoners are provided with bedding

yes

Upon arrival, the prison administration provides each prisoner with a mattress and a blanket.

Ventilation is bad.

The cells/dormitories are equipped with heating and/or air conditioning

in a few cases

Temperatures are high in the summer and low in the winter. A heater is available in some institutions.

The non-isolated cells gets cold air currents at night. Prisoners stay warm by filling up plastic bottles with hot water.

Small furniture and others objects required on a daily basis are the responsibility of the inmates; plastic chairs, small tables and cupboards are on sale in the canteen.

Hygiene

Prisoners have access to water

outside the cell/dormitory

Access to water varies depending on the institutions. In some places like the Bandirma prison (north-west), water is restricted.

Showers are located in the cells/dormitories

no

Prisoners have access to the showers once a week for five minutes. The type F high security prison in Endirne has limited access to hot water.

Types of sanitary facilities

latrines

Hygiene conditions are highly deteriorated in the overpopulated institutions. The 100 prisoners living in the makeshift communal dormitories in the gymnasium at the Karabut prison have three bathrooms and three showers. Difficult access to sanitation facilities seems to be a widespread issue.

Sanitary facilities are clean, adequate and accessible

no

The prison service provides personal hygiene products free of charge

no : they are the responsibility of the detained person

Prisoners must buy a large number of daily use products or services including drinking water, gas, toilet paper, soap, books, phone calls, transfers to the hospital, among others. The prison administration is not able to meet basic needs, which leads to hygiene problems, the spread of disease, and poverty. The administration does not provide sanitary towels and some women, with limited financial means, cannot afford them.

The prison service provides cleaning products free of charge

no

Detainees must obtain supplies from their relatives. They can also confine them. The products are, in general, expensive and of poor quality.

Loved ones provide clothes. All clothing items are submitted at the prison entrance under strict control and are regularly rejected. Authorities can reject, for example, a black vest.

A private company provides maintenance of the premises. The hygiene is deemed concerning. The walls are humid and the paint is flaking.

Hygiene conditions are highly deteriorated in the overpopulated institutions. The 100 prisoners living in the makeshift communal dormitories in the gymnasium at the Karabut prison have three bathrooms and three showers. Difficult access to sanitation facilities seems to be a widespread issue. The Kirklareli prison (north of the country) is obsolete and unsanitary. It is infested with harmful rats and insects and, despite multiple complaints, the authorities have refused to take extermination and disinfection measures.

Food

Drinking water is free and available in all areas of the facilities

no

The tap water available in the cells is not drinkable so prisoners must buy bottles of water. Frequent complaints about the quality and quantity of food provided are often met with no response.

Number of meals per day

3

The prison service is required to meet nutritional standards regarding quality and quantity

no

The authorities admit that portion sizes are calculated based on prison official capacity, and not in terms of the actual number of prisoners. At the Silivri prison, meals are served cold and food is insufficient. According to prison administration, the food shortage is due to the high occupancy rate. Prisoners without financial resources suffer from malnutrition.
Breakfast at the Bafra prison consist of a piece of bread, a bit of jam (or spread), and a cup of tea. Sometimes an egg is included.

The prison service provides food that respects special dietary needs

no

Specific dietary needs of ill prisoners are often ignored. The only special diet provided to “ill” prisoners consist of serving the same meal, but without oil or salt.

Prisoners can buy food products

yes

Prisoners may supplement their meals with commissary products.

Prisoners can have access to a refrigerator

no

The refrigerator is the responsibility of the detained person.

The other effects or small furniture required on a daily basis are the responsibility of the detainees; plastic chairs, small tables and cupboards are on sale in the canteen.