The health problems experienced by ill prisoners in Turkey’s prisons and the obstacles to their access to treatment remain a major concern for human rights defenders and legal organizations. It is reported that adequate healthcare services are not provided in prisons, treatment procedures are extremely slow, and many seriously ill prisoners are not released even when they meet the conditions for release.

The decisions made by the Administrative and Observation Boards (IGK) and the Forensic Medicine Institute (ATK) keep ill prisoners incarcerated despite medical reports stating they are unfit for prison. As a result of these decisions, many prisoners are unable to access treatment, and their health conditions continue to deteriorate.

The issue of sick prisoners has returned to the public agenda after the meeting held recently between the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) MPs Gülistan Koçyiğit Kılıç and Sezai Temelli, and the Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç. According to data from the Human Rights Association (IHD), there are a total of 1,517 sick prisoners in prisons across Turkey and Kurdistan, 651 of whom are in serious condition. According to the Ministry of Justice, 709 prisoners lost their lives due to illness in prisons during the first eleven months of 2024. It is reported that the vast majority of these deaths were not made public, with only 4.5 percent covered by the media.

The 2023 report by the IHD states that at least 6,639 violations related to the right to health were identified in prisons. Among these violations are serious issues such as the refusal of hospital reports by the Forensic Medicine Institute and the failure to postpone the sentences of seriously ill prisoners.

Pınar Sakık Tekin, Co-Chair of the Federation of Associations for Solidarity with Families of Detainees and Convicts (TUHAD-FED), made important statements highlighting the health crisis in prisons.

Prisoners are fighting between life and death

Pınar Sakık Tekin stated that the right to health has been systematically violated for years in prisons and said: “A major health crisis is taking place in Turkey’s prisons. Prisoners are fighting a battle between life and death. Today, people whose bodies have been imprisoned are carrying the heavy burden of this struggle. This issue must urgently be brought to the attention of the public. Both the political decisions of the Forensic Medicine Institute and the failures to postpone sentences are making the situation even harder for prisoners. Heavy violations, combined with arbitrary practices, have turned into a form of torture.”

The decisions of the Forensic Medicine Institute are not based on conscience

Tekin emphasized that when sick prisoners are taken to the hospital, they are often transported in handcuffs and that their treatments are frequently left incomplete. She stated that the conditions inside prisons further worsen their illnesses.

Tekin also underlined the biased stance of the Forensic Medicine Institute and said: “Even though independent hospital reports state that prisoners are unfit for incarceration, the Forensic Medicine Institute blocks their release based on political motives. This is a grave violation of rights and a crime against humanity. Because of these decisions, prisoners are forced to stay longer in prison, and their illnesses worsen due to the harsh physical conditions and the lack of proper medical care. All living conditions inside the prisons exacerbate their illnesses. Deprived of adequate nutrition and hygienic environments, prisoners are unable to properly access medication or receive necessary hospital transfers.”

Ill prisoners must be released without a single day's delay

Tekin underlined that the actual number of seriously ill prisoners is much higher than the announced figures and pointed out that there are many prisoners who have not yet been diagnosed. She shared the names of several of them: “Mehmet Emin Çam, Naif İşçi, Ciwan Boltan, Semire Direkçi, Muhlise Karagüzel, and 85-year-old Mehmet Sıddık Güler are only a few among the seriously ill prisoners. These prisoners are struggling with severe illnesses and are forced to carry on their fight under the harsh conditions of prison. In order to prevent more deaths in prisons, sick prisoners must be released and allowed to continue their treatment outside. Sick prisoners must be freed without a single day's delay. This is a step that must be taken both legally and morally.”

Tekin emphasized that considering his age and health condition, Mehmet Sıddık Güler must be released immediately. Speaking about the economic and psychological hardships faced by the families of prisoners, she said: “Families are unable to reach their children and are forced to travel long distances. They live in constant fear of receiving bad news every time the phone rings.”

Tekin also stressed the importance of the “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society” made after February 27, stating that the process would remain incomplete if the situation in prisons is not addressed: “A solution process that does not start from prisons is incomplete. Seriously ill prisoners must be released immediately. This is not only the responsibility of the families of prisoners, but a moral responsibility for the entire society. This is a test of humanity. Concrete steps must be taken for this. Taking this step is also a prerequisite for achieving sincere peace.”