20-year-old prisoner Cihan Talak has died in the closed M-type prison in the Kurdish province of Van under circumstances that remain unclear. The incident occurred around a week ago but has only now become public knowledge.
According to the Mezopotamya news agency (MA), Cihan Talak had been taken into custody just two months ago. Unofficial reports suggest that it was a suicide, but there has been no official confirmation of this.
After the incident, other prisoners from the affected wing were transferred to other departments. It is currently unclear whether a preliminary investigation has been launched. Several sources report that the prison administration has not yet issued a statement and is attempting to cover up the incident. The administration’s behavior raises suspicions that the death is not being investigated transparently.
There are repeated deaths in Turkish prisons under unexplained or suspicious circumstances. These are often portrayed as suicides without any independent investigation. Political prisoners, including numerous Kurdish activists, are particularly affected. Human rights organizations such as the IHD have been criticizing the lack of transparency, the absence of independent autopsies, and systematic attempts to prevent clarification for years. In many cases, fellow prisoners or relatives report psychological and physical violence, isolation, or medical neglect in the run-up to such deaths.