Photo: Pixabay
A Turkish opposition lawmaker has alleged widespread human rights violations in prisons in southeastern Turkey, citing claims of arbitrary barriers to release, pressure on inmates to make self-incriminating statements and inadequate care for sick prisoners.
According to the TR724 news website, Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, a member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), said he documented numerous complaints during recent visits to two prisons in the Hilvan district of Şanlıurfa, a southeastern Turkish province.
Gergerlioğlu said inmates told him prison authorities were pressuring them to make self-incriminating statements — including expressions of remorse or statements acknowledging involvement in a terrorism-related offense — as a condition for release. He said such practices were being used to delay or deny parole and raised concerns about coercion and due process.
“Prisons are not places to forcibly change people’s thoughts,” Gergerlioğlu said in a statement, adding that conditional release procedures were being applied arbitrarily.
Gergerlioğlu also said some inmates reported that prison psychologists were involved in these evaluation processes in ways that went beyond providing mental health support. Instead, he said, prisoners described being questioned in a manner they believed could influence the outcome of their reviews for release, raising concerns about the appropriate role of such professionals.
The lawmaker highlighted several cases involving inmates with serious health conditions whose release had allegedly been delayed.
Among them was Mehmet Yazar, whom he described as suffering from diabetes, liver complications and other chronic conditions. Despite his health issues , Gergerlioğlu said, Yazar’s release had been repeatedly postponed following negative assessments by prison authorities.
The lawmaker also raised concerns about other inmates, including individuals with respiratory illness, heart disease and life-threatening vascular conditions.
He called on authorities to prioritize medical needs in detention decisions and to ensure that seriously ill prisoners are evaluated promptly for release.
The lawmaker also cited limited access to canteen services, shortened family visitation times and reduced social activities, which he said point to deteriorating conditions.
Human rights groups have long raised concerns about prison conditions in Turkey, particularly following a sweeping crackdown after a coup attempt in 2016, which led to mass arrests.
The treatment of sick prisoners has been a longstanding concern raised by Turkish and international rights groups. In a 2025 factsheet, the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) said conditions in Turkey’s prisons raise “significant human rights concerns,” citing overcrowding, inadequate health care and arbitrary decisions affecting conditional release, particularly for rights defenders, journalists and prisoners convicted on politically sensitive charges.
Gergerlioğlu said he would continue to raise the issue with the Justice Ministry and prison authorities, calling for independent oversight and reforms to ensure compliance with domestic and international human rights standards.