Inmates at a Malatya prison are reportedly being crammed into overcrowded wards despite the availability of other space, the Bold Medya news website reported.
Due to overcrowding, some inmates are forced to sleep on floor mats in shifts. “With weakened immune systems, inmates are falling seriously ill from minor colds, and some are in very poor health,” the relative of an inmate said after visiting the prison.
Access to water is reportedly limited to two or three hours a day, often during the late-night hours. Relatives have raised concerns about unsanitary conditions, with meals described as insufficient, saying that inmates don’t even receive hot meals for dinner.
Families are calling on authorities to improve conditions and address the deteriorating humanitarian situation inside the prison.
In recent years NGOs and international organizations have reported a number of problems related to prison conditions in Turkey, including overcrowding, poor hygiene, lack of access to proper medical care and lack of adequate nutrition.
Turkey is by far the leader in the number of prisoners in Europe, according a 2022 report released by the Council of Europe. The country witnessed a 369 percent surge in its prison population between 2005 and 2022, surpassing all other European countries in terms of the rate of increase.
While the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been advertising its large-scale construction plans for new prisons, the authorities have generally been ignoring complaints and reports regarding the unfavorable conditions in the existing prisons.
