Türkiye
Seen in the press
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Türkiye: Eskişehir prison delays release of political prisoners
Eskişehir Type-H Closed Prison has postponed the release of five political prisoners who have completed their sentences, citing “continued organizational behavior” and “lack of repentance“ in what has become a broader practice in recent years.
Türkiye: mother incarcerated in Gülen case with 1-year-old by her side despite law on recent mothers
Turkish authorities have jailed a woman accompanied by her 1-year-old infant as part of an investigation into the Gülen movement despite the fact that the law allows courts to postpone sentences for women who gave birth within the past 18 months.
Türkiye: 822 children under the age of 6 live in overcrowded prisons
A recent report by the Civil Society in the Penal System (CISST) has revealed a growing number of children living behind bars with their mothers, while the incarcerated people numbers continue to rise in Türkiye’s overcrowded prisons.Türkiye: 20 young women strip-searched at Şakran prison, lawmaker says
Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, a human rights advocate and lawmaker, said he met with several incarcerated people during a visit to Şakran prison in Izmir province, where he learned that womenhad been forced to undergo degrading strip-searches upon arrival.Türkiye: LGBTI+ activist alleges mistreatment in prison
Gökalp, a member of the LGBTI+ commission of the Socialist Party (SOLDEP), was arrested on May 2 in İzmir and sent to prison. Gökalp’s lawyer, Deniz Can Aydın, called for her immediate release, citing serious health concerns and claims of harassment in prison due to her gender identity.Türkiye: "Republic of prison campuses". The country has so many incarcerated people, 100,000 sleep on floor
The replacement of small prisons with large-complex prisons has led to apparent “progress” that is nothing of the kind.The number of prisons, home to a soaring prison population now the largest in Europe at more than 400,000 incarcerated people, fell from 524 in 2002 to 395 as of March 2025.Türkiye: prison population exceeds capacity by nearly 100,000 amid recent surge in arrests
According to March data from the Ministry of Justice, Türkiye’s 395 prisons are housing 398,694 people, surpassing their official combined capacity of 299,940 by 98,754 people, representing a 133.9 percent occupancy rate.Türkiye: lawyers' association reports human rights violations in eastern Turkish prison
Lawyers associations in Turkey visited the Batman closed prison to report human rights violations experienced by the group of youths arrested for dancing to Kurdish music. Accordingly, the group was strip searched and forced to listen to nationalistic marches as “punishment.”Türkiye: a report reveals systematic human rights violations in the country's prisons
The “2022-2023 Prison Rights Violations Report” highlights systemic human rights abuses in Turkish prisons, revealing a disturbing trend of political repression and isolation practices, particularly concerning the treatment of political prisoners, including Abdullah Öcalan.
Türkiye : rising postal expenses impede prisoners' sole connection to the outside world
“Due to economic reasons and the exorbitant prices set by PTT, I am sending this letter through regular mail. I hope it reaches you intact and without censorship. Sending guaranteed letters such as registered or APS has become economically challenging,” says a prisoner.
Türkiye: 26 deaths in prisons since the start of the year
Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a Green Left deputy from Kocaeli, stated today that at least 26 prisoners died in prisons in the first six months of 2023. Gergerlioglu stressed that 15 of the 26 prisoners died in suspicious circumstances. Another 11 people were not released from prison despite being termi…
Turkey: inmates suffering from COVID-19 unable to see doctor in Aksaray prison
Ahmet Göksu, who is jailed in Turkey’s central province of Aksaray, has told his family that inmates suffering from COVID-19 cannot access proper healthcare and are not taken to the hospital, the Mezopotamya news agency reported. According to Göksu, there are critically ill prisoners among those wh…