This report is based on the findings of a mission dispatched to Turkey by KHRP in December 2008 following reports by media and regional partners of increased violations of prisoners’ rights. The mission travelled to İstanbul, Ankara, Mardin and Diyarbakır, interviewing former prisoners, prisoners’ families, NGOs, human rights advocates and lawyers.

Concerns highlighted by the mission include routine ill-treatment, arbitrary punishments without adequate recourse to appeal, arbitrary restrictions on visiting and language rights, overcrowding and the high proportion of inmates in the system who are still awaiting trial. Underlying these problems is a lack of proper accountability and independent oversight within the prison system.

The report places these findings in the context of Turkey’s international human rights obligations and offers concrete recommendations for improving protection of prisoners’ rights.