Gülseren Yoleri, president of the Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul Branch, emphasized that while violations of healthcare and communication rights previously topped the list in Turkish prisons, torture and ill-treatment have now become the most pressing issues. She added: "One of the most distressing problems is the violation of the right to life."

Gülseren Yoleri told ANF that the same issues in Turkish prisons persist and intensify each year. She highlighted that torture and ill-treatment have now become the most prevalent violations, surpassing other concerns.

Reflecting on past reports, Yoleri said: "As we published our 2023 report and assessed our findings for 2024, I looked back and realized that there is almost no difference between the two years. The violations remain nearly identical in every aspect. In recent years, we have observed a significant increase in certain types of violations. While in previous years, healthcare and communication rights violations ranked first, we now see that torture and ill-treatment have taken the top spot. Communication rights violations are now in second place, along with isolation. The right to healthcare ranks third, while access to adequate nutrition follows in fourth place. One of the most alarming issues is the violation of the right to life. According to the Ministry’s latest statement, 709 prisoners have died in the first 11 months of 2024. When we examine the causes of these cases, recorded as suicides or suspicious deaths, we see that torture and ill-treatment play a significant role."

Even the simplest issues remain unresolved

Yoleri emphasized that even the most basic problems in prisons are deliberately left unsolved and stated: "We see that the psychological distress caused by unresolved basic issues has led to an increase in suicide cases. There are countless examples, such as prisoners being denied their medication, taken to hospitals in handcuffs, or held in conditions unsuitable for their health.” She further noted that recent efforts to access justice have put pressure on the Ministry, yet “all applications related to access to justice are being rejected, disregarded, or even torn up in front of the prisoners. The violation of the principle of equality erodes prisoners’ trust in the justice system. This creates a deeply damaging psychological environment, weakening them further. As a result, we are witnessing a rise in hunger strikes as a form of protest. The inability to find anyone to address their grievances is pushing prisoners to their limits."

Torture and ill-treatment also target criminal detainees

Yoleri revealed that applications from criminal detainees also include complaints of torture, ill-treatment, labor exploitation, harassment, abuse, threats, and even coercion into illegal work after release. She continued: "Criminal detainees fear retaliation and do not want their names to be used. They believe that if their identities are revealed, they will be transferred from open prisons to high-security facilities, and their sentences will be extended. They are deeply afraid, highly unorganized, and rather than standing in solidarity, they are often positioned against one another through threats. We also see a significant increase in violence among prisoners. In juvenile prisons, peer bullying has become a systemic issue. For instance, there is the ‘representative system,’ in which detainees appointed as representatives enforce order through violence, sometimes leading to deaths. The situation is even more severe for children, yet prison administrations remain silent despite witnessing and being fully aware of these abuses."

Forced into slave-like labor

Alongside the pressures they face in prisons, criminal detainees are also subjected to severe economic exploitation and are effectively forced to work under slave-like conditions. Yoleri highlighted that those held in open prisons, in particular, are compelled to work for 12 to 13 hours a day. She said: "There is a serious situation of mistreatment. Open prisons have been organized as labor camps. Prisoners there are forced to work, and if they are unable to, they must obtain a medical report, but even these reports are often denied. For instance, the social security provided to them does not include retirement benefits, meaning it does not contribute to their future. When it comes to wages, the institution decides on an amount it deems appropriate, but they are not even entitled to the minimum wage. In fact, they receive only one-third of the minimum wage. The exploitation of labor has reached unimaginable levels. Additionally, every six months, a portion of prisoners' wages is deducted under the pretext of covering their subsistence costs. They are made to work under conditions of forced labor. They are subjected to 12-13 hours of labor, and if they protest, they are threatened with being transferred to high-security prisons."

Issues affect all prisoners

Yoleri highlighted the pressures faced by religious groups, and, added: "In the evaluations conducted by the Prison Administration and Observation Board, there is a practice requiring prisoners to meet with an imam. An Alawite prisoner reported that a note was placed in his record simply because he refused to meet with an imam (Muslim cleric). There is also severe discrimination against Romani prisoners. Most of them are incarcerated for criminal offenses, and we see cases of harassment and abuse specifically targeting them. The same applies to foreign nationals and elderly prisoners. Even illness and old age can become grounds for discrimination. These problems are not limited to political prisoners; they are imposed on all detainees."

A system designed to persist beyond political change

Yoleri said that the period beginning in 2016 and beyond must be evaluated as a whole. "There is a systematic approach in place. Many detentions and arrests have been carried out to suppress the democratic movement. Freedom of expression is being restricted. We express ourselves through press statements and demonstrations, yet authorities have continuously attempted to link these actions to terrorism. When they failed to establish a connection with terrorism, they resorted to the disinformation law to impose further restrictions. When that was not enough, they fabricated crimes that did not exist. Punishments were handed down by disregarding fundamental legal principles. For instance, Hatice Onaran was arrested under the invented charge of ‘financing terrorism.’ These types of pressures have instilled widespread fear. Take, for example, the so-called Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) list, which was deliberately leaked to the public to instill fear and exert control over society. Returning to the issue of prisons, the sheer number of arrests has forced many people to withdraw from political and social engagement. Fear is being used as a tool of repression. It is clear that these pressures are aimed at neutralizing public reaction and crushing opposition. This has created a system that will not simply disappear with a change in government. The ruling authorities are implementing these repressive measures through legal regulations, ensuring their continuation regardless of political shifts. Even if the Justice and Development Party (AKP) loses power, the institutions and laws sustaining this system will remain. This issue should not be seen as one that can be resolved solely through a change in government."