Country of origin information report Turkey March 2007

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11.21 Furthermore the report noted that:
“A ’Suspect’s Rights Form’ (SRF) reflecting the latest legal situation was in use in the three Provinces visited. However, many detained persons claimed they had been informed of their rights only some time after having been brought to the detention facility, often after an initial ‘informal’ questioning session. It was also clear that a copy of the signed SRF was frequently not given to detained persons, despite the requirement in the Regulation on Apprehension that this be done.” [13a] (paragraph 24)
12 Prison conditions
12.01 The EC 2005 report noted that:
“According to official sources, in May 2005 there were 58,670 persons in prisons and detention houses. Of these 31,812 were convicted prisoners and 26,858 were prisoners detained on remand. By May 2005, 14,431 prisoners had been released as a result of changes to the law brought about by the adoption of the new Penal Code. Regarding prison conditions in Turkey, there has been significant progress in recent years, but there is a need to continue expanding best practice to all prisons throughout the country as some remain overcrowded and under-resourced.” [71d] (p24)
12.02 As stated in the European Commission 2006 report:
“With regard to the prison system, Turkey has adopted regulations to implement the 2004 legislative reforms in this area. Physical infrastructure has also continued to be improved and training is being strengthened. Outstanding problems in prison facilities include a lack of communal activities, limited interaction between custodial staff and prisoners, inadequate health-care and psychiatric resources as well as cases of overcrowded prison cells. Cases of ill-treatment by prison staff have been reported. Civil and military prisons are not open to independent monitoring, pending the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT). The application of a solitary confinement regime to prisoners sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment is too extensive. Such a regime needs to be applied for as short a time as possible and be based on an individual risk assessment of the prisoner concerned.” [71a] (p14)