{"id":22221,"date":"2026-02-23T19:06:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T19:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/22221\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T19:06:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T19:06:14","slug":"torture-ill-treatment-and-prison-conditions-in-turkey-2025-in-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/22221\/","title":{"rendered":"Torture, Ill-treatment and Prison Conditions in Turkey: 2025 in Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Turkey\u2019s record on torture and ill-treatment continued to deteriorate in 2025, despite its commitments under international human rights conventions.<\/p>\n

Throughout the year human rights organizations documented credible allegations of widespread and systematic abuses by security forces and authorities. A deepening culture of impunity appeared to embolden law enforcement and prison officials, leading to arbitrary practices. Investigations into allegations of torture remained largely ineffective, reinforcing concerns about institutional tolerance for abuse. Reflecting the severity of the situation, the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) ranked Turkey as the second highest-risk country worldwide for torture in its 2025 Global Torture Index, published in June.<\/p>\n

Ill-treatment by security forces became particularly visible during interventions in peaceful protests of the government and its policies. In March the detention of Ekrem \u0130mamo\u011flu, the mayor of \u0130stanbul and the main opposition Republican People\u2019s Party\u2019s presidential candidate, sparked mass demonstrations across the country. Excessive use of force by the police attracted strong criticism from international human rights bodies including those of the UN and the Council of Europe.<\/p>\n

Inside Turkey\u2019s prisons, degrading and inhuman treatment persisted despite rulings by domestic courts and the Constitutional Court. Strip-searches continued to be reported, even as the government maintained that such practices do not occur. Prison administrations frequently denied inmates their right to probation on questionable grounds. Conditions in high-security \u201cpit-type\u201d facilities remained especially controversial, with reports of serious rights violations prompting hunger strikes by inmates. The government took no meaningful steps to address these concerns.<\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s prison population reached a record high of 433,000 inmates, pushing facilities to 42 percent over capacity. Chronic overcrowding further strained access to healthcare, hygiene and basic living standards, exacerbating already poor detention conditions. Human rights groups and legal experts have called for comprehensive legislative and judicial reforms to address the crisis. The government\u2019s sole response has been to construct additional prisons.<\/p>\n

Throughout 2025 numerous cases were reported involving severe torture in police custody, detainees developing chronic illnesses due to poor prison conditions and preventable deaths linked to inadequate access to healthcare. Victims frequently reported being denied timely medical examinations or pressured to refrain from filing complaints. These abuses disproportionately affected members of the G\u00fclen movement, Kurdish detainees and government critics.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the most important developments from 2025 regarding torture, inhuman treatment and prison conditions in Turkey:<\/p>\n

Turkey labeled high risk in global torture index<\/p>\n

Turkey was classified as a high-risk country for torture and ill-treatment in the first edition of a new international\u00a0index. The Global Torture Index 2025, released by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) in June, put Turkey in the second-highest risk tier among 26 countries assessed, citing widespread allegations of torture, unchecked police violence and legal and institutional barriers that block accountability. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkish human rights watchdogs warned of widespread mistreatment and torture in detention centers<\/p>\n

Marking the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (T\u0130HV) and the Human Rights Association (\u0130HD) issued a joint\u00a0statement\u00a0in Istanbul, warning that mistreatment and torture remain alarmingly widespread in detention centers. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

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More than 1,400 sick prisoners were held in Turkish penal institutions: report<\/p>\n

At least 1,412 sick inmates, including hundreds who were critically ill, were being held in Turkish prisons under conditions that exacerbated their health problems, according to a new\u00a0report\u00a0released by the \u0130HD. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Rights group alleged systematic abuse in Turkish prisons<\/p>\n

The Progressive Lawyers Association (\u00c7HD) said prisoners in several of the country\u2019s high-security facilities were facing systematic rights violations, including prolonged solitary confinement, denial of medical care and arbitrary obstruction of parole. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s prison population continued to surge, operating at 42 percent over capacity<\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s prison population climbed to\u00a0433,543, exceeding official capacity by 42 percent, according to a report by the\u00a0Civil Society in the Penal System (CISST), a prisoners\u2019 rights group. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

822 children under the age of 6 lived in Turkey\u2019s overcrowded prisons: report<\/p>\n

A report by CISST revealed\u00a0a growing number of children living behind bars with their mothers, while the inmate numbers continued to rise in Turkey\u2019s overcrowded prisons. According to CISST, in October 822 children under the age of 6 were\u00a0living\u00a0with their mothers in prison, up\u00a0from\u00a0759 a year ago. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s \u2018pit-type\u2019 prisons under fire amid hunger strikes, rights concerns<\/p>\n

Rights groups and inmates stepped up criticism of Turkey\u2019s high-security \u201cpit-type\u201d prisons, saying detainees face overcrowding, lack of sunlight and medical neglect. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u0130stanbul Bar called for closure of \u2018pit-type\u2019 prisons, citing human dignity violations<\/p>\n

The \u0130stanbul Bar Association called\u00a0for the closure of so-called \u201cpit-type\u201d prisons and urged the authorities to address the demands of inmates on a hunger strike, citing serious rights violations documented in a new\u00a0report. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

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UN rapporteurs warned Turkey over disproportionate use of force and torture during \u0130mamo\u011flu protests<\/p>\n

United Nations special rapporteurs expressed serious concerns regarding allegations of disproportionate use of force and torture by Turkish police during demonstrations in March protesting the arrest of Ekrem \u0130mamo\u011flu, the mayor of \u0130stanbul. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkish top court struck down suspended sentence mechanism, citing torture ban<\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s Constitutional Court ruled that a court mechanism that allowed some convictions to be effectively suspended can no longer be used, striking down parts of Article 231 of the Code of Criminal Procedure that let judges defer verdicts in cases where prison sentences did not exceed two years. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s top court again ruled against prison surveillance practices<\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s Constitutional Court ruled that the recording of prison visits and the uploading of inmate letters to the judiciary\u2019s digital system violated inmates\u2019 rights to privacy and freedom of communication. Despite similar rulings in recent years from both the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights, the practice of recording prison communications and uploading private correspondence continued in some Turkish prisons. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

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Turkish prosecutor rejected general\u2019s complaint of torture despite evidence aired publicly<\/p>\n

A Turkish prosecutor rejected a complaint alleging torture filed by a former lieutenant general who was serving an aggravated life sentence over a 2016 coup attempt, despite images published by the state-run Anadolu news agency showing him with visible injuries hours after his detention. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Witness detailed torture of former teacher in Turkish custody, said \u2018clothes were soaked in blood\u2019<\/p>\n

A witness testified in court in April, describing signs of apparent torture inflicted on a former teacher while he was in detention following a coup attempt in Turkey in 2016.<\/p>\n

The witness claimed the teacher was sexually assaulted, beaten and insulted while in custody at the Antalya Police Station. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkish prison board denied probation to ousted Kurdish mayor of Diyarbak\u0131r<\/p>\n

A Turkish prison administration rejected an application for probation filed by Sel\u00e7uk M\u0131zrakl\u0131, the ousted co-mayor of Diyarbak\u0131r. The board rejected his application in September and although he recently reapplied, it once again denied his request on the grounds that he had not declared that he had \u201cdisassociated himself from a terrorist organization.\u201d More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Lawyers raised alarm over conditions for women in Turkish prisons<\/p>\n

The \u0130stanbul Bar Association\u2019s Young Lawyers Assembly and Women\u2019s Rights Center expressed concern over conditions for women in Turkish prisons, citing overcrowding, poor hygiene and a lack of support for pregnant inmates. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Women visitors strip-searched, headscarves removed at Turkish prison: report<\/p>\n

The Association of Lawyers for Freedom (\u00d6HD) accused prison authorities in southeastern Turkey of systematically subjecting visitors to the facility, particularly women and children, to degrading and unlawful searches, including forced removal of clothing and invasive physical contact. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

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Turkish woman jailed over G\u00fclen links described repeated sexual abuse in custody<\/p>\n

A woman who was jailed in Turkey over alleged ties to the faith-based G\u00fclen movement claimed she was subjected to repeated strip-searches and sexual abuse while in custody. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Young Turkish protesters endured harsh treatment in police custody<\/p>\n

After rising up to rally against the arrest of \u0130stanbul\u2019s powerful opposition mayor, Ekrem \u0130mamo\u011flu, young Turkish protesters were forced to wake up to the reality of police custody. Lawyers and politicians supportive of \u0130mamo\u011flu, President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan\u2019s top political challenger, slammed the \u201cpolice brutality\u201d suffered by students detained for taking part in the country\u2019s worst unrest for more than a decade. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

UN special rapporteurs urged Turkey to end mistreatment of human rights lawyers<\/p>\n

United Nations human rights special rapporteurs raised serious concerns over the imprisonment and mistreatment of human rights lawyers in Turkey and expressed concern that the charges against them were politically motivated and that they had been subjected to unfair trials and mistreatment in prison. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

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G\u00fclen-linked educator paralyzed in prison amid medical neglect<\/p>\n

U\u011fur \u00d6zta\u015f, an 88-year-old educator imprisoned over alleged links to the faith-based G\u00fclen movement, became paralyzed in prison allegedly due to the neglect of his medical needs. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Family blamed prison conditions for death of former Turkish inmate after serving G\u00fclen-related sentence<\/p>\n

The family of Akif \u015eim\u015fek, who died of leukemia in 2024 after serving more than seven years in prison for alleged ties to the faith-based G\u00fclen movement, came forward publicly, saying poor conditions during his incarceration severely damaged his health and contributed to his death. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

DEM Party deputy revealed police torture of former academic during post-coup crackdown<\/p>\n

A former assistant professor at Harran University in southeastern Urfa province was subjected to torture during a 2017 police interrogation,\u00a0Peoples\u2019 Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) MP \u00d6mer Faruk Gergerlio\u011flu\u00a0revealed\u00a0on his YouTube channel.\u00a0More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Elderly Alzheimer\u2019s patient jailed over G\u00fclen links died in Turkish prison after repeated pleas for release<\/p>\n

\u0130brahim G\u00fcng\u00f6r, a 73-year-old Alzheimer\u2019s patient imprisoned over alleged links to the faith-based G\u00fclen movement, died<\/a> in a Turkish prison on September 7, after months of repeated pleas from his family for his release on health grounds were ignored. Turkish authorities refused to allow his jailed daughter to attend the funeral. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

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Dismissed teacher, denied release from prison until too late, succumbed to cancer<\/p>\n

Ramazan Akta\u015f, a former history teacher dismissed under an emergency decree in the aftermath of a 2016 coup attempt in Turkey and imprisoned over alleged ties to the faith-based G\u00fclen movement, died of late-stage pancreatic cancer in June shortly after a delayed release from prison despite his doctor\u2019s earlier warnings. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

LGBTQ detainees held in one-person cells in Turkish prison, denied medical care<\/p>\n

Six LGBTQ inmates in pretrial detention at Turkey\u2019s Aksaray Prison were held in single-person cells and denied access to medical care, under conditions their lawyers said violated Turkish law and amounted to systemic discrimination. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Elderly inmate in Turkish prison lost eyesight after being denied medical treatment<\/p>\n

\u00d6mer Yaman, a 70-year-old inmate in Turkey\u2019s Tokat province, went\u00a0blind in his left eye after being denied treatment for cataracts. He told his lawyers that he had not received any medical treatment for the past six months, which ultimately led to the loss of vision in his left eye. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Chronically ill inmate in Izmir died due to alleged negligence<\/p>\n

A chronically ill inmate in a prison in Turkey\u2019s \u0130zmir province died due to alleged negligence. Kadir Co\u015fkun, 65, was arrested and sent to a minimum-security prison in March after being sentenced to five months for a traffic accident. His family revealed that Co\u015fkun suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition caused by lung damage. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

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Torture and intimidation in a Turkish detention center: Former detainee shared details of harrowing interrogation<\/p>\n

Hayati Uysal, a 29-year-old Turkish man who was imprisoned for alleged links to the\u00a0G\u00fclen\u00a0movement, shared his harrowing account of torture in detention that ultimately left him blind. Uysal said during detention he endured severe beating, threats to his life and psychological abuse.\u00a0More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Teacher abducted by Turkish intelligence denied surgery for 16 months after arm broken during torture<\/p>\n

A Turkish educator abducted from Kyrgyzstan by Turkish intelligence in 2021 told an opposition lawmaker that he was denied surgery for 16 months after his arm was broken in three places during torture while in custody. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Elderly inmate died of cancer in Turkish prison after release denied<\/p>\n

A retired imam diagnosed with advanced lymphoma died in K\u0131r\u015fehir Prison in January after Turkish authorities repeatedly denied his requests for the postponement of his sentence on grounds of health. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Turkey\u2019s record on torture and ill-treatment continued to deteriorate in 2025, despite its commitments under international human rights…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22222,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[15004,15005,15006,13684,15007,15008,15009,15010,15011,131,15012,14051,132,13113,155],"class_list":{"0":"post-22221","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-stockholm","8":"tag-abuse-in-turkish-prisons","9":"tag-ill-treatment","10":"tag-medical-neglect","11":"tag-pit-type-prisons","12":"tag-prison-conditions","13":"tag-prison-population","14":"tag-probation","15":"tag-sexual-abuse","16":"tag-sick-prisoners","17":"tag-stockholm","18":"tag-strip-search","19":"tag-suspended-sentence","20":"tag-sweden","21":"tag-torture","22":"tag-turkey"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22221\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}