Sevda Çelik Özbingöl and Öztürk Türkdoğan, co-spokespersons of the DEM Party's Law and Human Rights Commission, said: “According to Ministry of Justice data, there are 329,151 prisoners in Turkey as of 2 May 2024. The prison models in which these prisoners are kept have a feature that gradually decays and destroys people. There are a total of 43 ‘Well Type’ prisons in Turkey, including 22 high security prisons, 14 Y-type prisons and 7 S-type prisons.”

The statement pointed out that: “The recently built Y-type, S-type and high security prisons are new types of prisons where social isolation, solitary confinement and usurpation of rights are increased. In these prisons, prisoners are kept in single or triple cells. In addition, there is no open-air section and prisoners are taken out only for 1,5 hours a day at different times so that they cannot see each other.

Cemil Kurt and Alişan Gül in Erzurum Dumlu Prison No 1 have been on hunger strike since 11 March, demanding the closure of these prisons, known as ‘Well Type’ prisons, and transfer to prisons close to their families.

Nurettin Kaya in Bolu F Type Prison, whose request for transfer was accepted, is on the 223rd day of his death fast for his friends. Kaya, who has difficulty breathing and has dropped to 40kg, has sores in his mouth, while his feet and hands are swollen, and his pain has reached unbearable levels.

In the current situation, the only demand of the prisoners is to be transferred to a prison close to their families, but the authorities have not taken any steps for months and insist on arbitrary and unlawful deportation, disregarding their lives.

We call on the Ministry of Justice to immediately accept Cemil Kurt’s and Alişan Gül's request for transfer to a prison close to their families, to take steps to eliminate the isolation system in Y-type, S-type and high security prisons and to close such prisons.”