Political prisoners held at Tekirdag F-Type No. 1 and No. 2 Closed Prisons continue to face serious human rights violations. While access to healthcare has been severely restricted for some time, disciplinary punishments and arbitrary searches have also increased. Pressure by prison administrations on prisoners is steadily intensifying.
In addition, the confiscation of printed materials such as books and newspapers, along with restrictions on the right to write letters, is further worsening prisoners’ living conditions.
Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) Istanbul Branch Prison Commission member and lawyer Destina Yıldız spoke to ANF about the violations taking place at Tekirdag Prison.
Destina Yıldız said: “In the recent period, the most frequent rights violations we have encountered at Tekirdağ F-Type No. 1 and No. 2 Prisons have been the increase in raid searches and a clear change in the attitude of prison guards. In the meetings we have held, prisoners report that over the past one to two months, raid searches have been carried out in their cells in addition to routine searches. They were told that these searches were being conducted on the basis of a written instruction from the Ministry of Justice. During the searches, guards scattered all of their belongings, damaged property, confiscated all written documents, and seized books that had already been approved by the administration and issued to them. Prisoners also reported that guards engaged in provocative actions and language, that those who objected to the manner in which the searches were conducted were pushed and shoved, and that physical violence was used, including hard blows to their sexual organs.”
Conditional release rights are being obstructed
Destina Yıldız drew attention to the arbitrary postponement of political prisoners’ conditional release rights and said: “The conditional release rights of prisoners whose eligibility date has arrived are being postponed by Administrative and Observation Boards on abstract grounds. In the decisions of these boards, particularly in the case of political prisoners, reasons such as ‘embracing the organisation’s moral values,’ ‘not reading enough books,’ ‘not meeting with an imam,’ ‘not conserving water or electricity,’ ‘not participating in activities in common areas,’ and ‘having a decision regarding objectionable letters’ are cited.
From the moment a person enters prison, it is in fact the prison administration that decides which ward or cell they will stay in, with whom they will be held, and with whom they will participate in activities such as sports or social interaction. Moreover, under existing regulations, those sentenced for organisation-related offences are held together with others sentenced under the same category. Individuals convicted of the same type of offence are also taken to activities together.”
Arbitrary practices are increasing
Destina Yıldız said arbitrary practices continue in assessments of “good conduct” for political prisoners and added:
“A prisoner can purchase books with their own money from the external canteen, and family members or friends can also send books by cargo. However, these are not taken into account by the administration, and an impression is created as if the prisoner does not read books at all.
While the prison administration prevents political prisoners from benefiting from activities such as sports, social interaction, and courses on the grounds of lack of space or security, this situation is then assessed against the prisoner as if it were their own choice. Likewise, although there is a water quota in prisons, meaning the amount of water a prisoner can use daily is determined by the administration, prisoners are accused of not conserving water and are therefore deemed not to be ‘well-behaved.’
When we look at the contradictions and abstract claims in the reasoning of Administrative and Observation Board decisions, we see that the real issue that emerges is whether prisoners express remorse. Prisoners who say they are not remorseful or do not display remorse have their conditional release rights postponed. At the core of this practice is the aim of breaking the will of political prisoners and placing them under domination.”
Yıldız also emphasised that violations of political prisoners’ right to health are increasing day by day and said: “Another area where we frequently encounter rights violations in the recent period concerns access to treatment and the right to healthcare. The practice of transporting prisoners to hospitals in single-occupancy ring vehicles continues. Not only has the imposition of handcuffed examinations at hospitals not ended, it has actually increased.
These practices prevent prisoners from going to hospitals or being examined, leading to late diagnoses and preventing timely access to treatment. In our meetings with prisoners, it is reported that visits to the infirmary are delayed because the infirmary doctor cannot keep up, resulting in medications not being prescribed on time, and that there are delays in hospital referrals. It is stated that referrals for physical therapy take at least seven to eight months, while other referrals generally take at least three to four months.
At Tekirdağ F-Type No. 2 Prison, it was reported that a sick prisoner who has difficulty walking and climbing stairs due to a herniated disc received approval from the prison doctor for a mobile bunk bed, but that the prison administration rejected this request about a month later. It was also reported that, at the same prison, a prisoner with a disability in his left hand has been waiting for surgery since 2023 but has not been given an operation date, placing him at risk of losing the use of his left hand.”
The impact of the economic crisis is even harsher
Destina Yıldız stated the deepening economic crisis outside is being felt even more severely inside prisons and said: “Because canteen prices have increased sharply, access to basic needs such as food and cleaning supplies has become even more difficult for prisoners, whose income is already extremely limited.
In our meetings, prisoners report that due to the low daily food allowance, the quality of meals distributed by the administration has deteriorated; the food provided is nutritionally inadequate and unhealthy, the portions are insufficient for the number of prisoners held in a cell, and requests from prisoners who need special diets due to health problems are not being met. This situation leads to serious health problems and many illnesses for prisoners in the long term.”
Social activities are arbitrarily obstructed
Destina Yıldız shared the following observations based on meetings held with political prisoners being held in prisons and said:
“In meetings with prisoners, it is reported to us that activities in common areas, such as sports, social interaction, and courses are either not held at all or, when they are held, are conducted in violation of existing regulations. For example, at Tekirdağ F-Type No. 2 Prison, prisoners have long requested a saz (a traditional long-necked lute) course. The course was not opened for a period on the grounds that there was no instructor. After an instructor was eventually assigned, the administration sought to take prisoners to the course one by one. Prisoners did not accept this practice, and instructors repeatedly resigned because they did not want to give lessons individually.
It was also reported that prisoners were again expected to attend the painting workshop one by one, that this practice was imposed for a period, and that prisoners refused to accept it. The administration later agreed that cells which go out together for sports and social activities could also attend the painting workshop together.
Other violations reported include the fact that prisoners are allowed to keep only twenty books in their cells, with no permission granted for more, and that some of these books were confiscated during raid searches. At Tekirdağ F-Type No. 1 Prison, it was also reported that publications in Zazaki (a Kurdish language) have not been given to prisoners for a year and a half due to the lack of staff to translate them, while Kurdish-language publications are delivered only after significant delays.”
Isolation practices must come to an end
Yıldız stressed that the increase in rights violations in prisons at a time when peace and democratisation are being debated outside is unacceptable and said: “Isolation practices and rights violations in prisons must be brought to an end. In particular, sick prisoners and those whose conditional release date has arrived must be released immediately.”