Purge victim denied release 3 times dies of cancer

Tacettin Toprak, a 36-year-old civil servant who was dismissed by the Turkish government following a coup attempt on July 15, 2016, died on Saturday, Turkey Purge reported.

Toprak was diagnosed with advanced bladder cancer and was allegedly denied treatment for the condition in prison.

Three Turkish courts had ruled for the continuation of his imprisonment despite medical reports recommending urgent treatment. 

He was finally released on August 3 from Manisa Prison, where he was held for more than three years. Doctors allegedly told the family that it was too late to save him. He was on a respirator during his final days.

Toprak’s daughter and son

Toprak, a father of two, was laid to rest on Saturday in his hometown of Manisa.

According to the latest data from Turkey’s Justice Ministry, 2,300 people had died in jail over the past eight years, either during pre-trial detention or while serving out a sentence, as of August 2018.  

Rights violations in Turkey’s prisons and the denial of medical care to inmates have increased since the controversial coup attempt in July 2016, as a result of which the Turkish government has detained or arrested more than 500,000 people on the pretext of an anti-coup fight.

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