The number of people held in pretrial detention in Turkey reached 62,514 as of April 1, 2026, up from 38,537 in 2023, according to official data from the Ministry of Justice.
Figures show the number had risen to 55,240 by the end of 2024 and continued climbing through 2025, reaching 57,503 by August 1 of that year. The latest total marks the highest level on record.
Of those currently in pretrial detention, 7,159 are women and minors, the data show. Authorities also reported that 4,769 detainees awaiting indictment or trial have undergraduate or postgraduate degrees.
The increase has followed a series of investigations and arrests involving opposition politicians, journalists and protesters.
Since October 2024 prosecutors have opened a series of corruption and misconduct investigations into main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)-run municipalities, in what the party says is an effort to weaken the opposition, which won a nationwide plurality in local elections the same year.
Under Turkish law, pretrial detention is defined as a temporary measure that can be applied only in cases of strong suspicion and risks such as flight or evidence tampering and is not intended as a form of punishment.
The increase also appears to reflect a broader expansion in Turkey’s prison population. Official data show a total prison population of 414,401 as of April 1, 2026, including 351,887 convicted prisoners.
