A Turkish opposition lawmaker has said inmates at a high-security prison in eastern Turkey are facing systematic abuse including threats, denial of hot water and arbitrary penalties, urging the government to launch an immediate investigation.
According to the TR724 news website, the allegations were raised by Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, a member of parliament from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), who spoke at a press conference at Turkey’s parliament in Ankara on January 8, saying he had received multiple complaints from inmates held at the Erzurum Dumlu No. 2 Prison.
Gergerlioğlu said several inmates, including a man identified as Ramazan Kaya, have begun what he described as a “visit strike,” a form of protest in which prisoners refuse family and lawyer visits and have stopped answering prison phones to draw attention to their treatment.
He said complaints from inside the prison describe a “climate of intense pressure,” with prisoners reporting poor quality food, no access to hot water and the heating in their units turned off during winter.
According to Gergerlioğlu, inmates have also been punished for routine activities such as cleaning their cells. “Even cleaning their cells is treated as a disciplinary offense,” he said, adding that prisoners have reported often being verbally abused by guards.
The lawmaker also said he received reports that some prison staff have threatened inmates.
Gergerlioğlu called on Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç to send inspectors to the facility to determine whether the allegations are true and to take action if violations are confirmed.
“With such serious claims, why are you staying silent?” he said. “Send your inspectors to the prison and find out what’s really happening.”
According to the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey’s (TİHV) annual report, instances of physical abuse, arbitrary disciplinary actions and degrading treatment in Turkish prisons, long notorious for the torture and ill-treatment of inmates, have seen a significant increase, particularly since a failed coup in 2016 and a subsequent state of emergency. The report details numerous cases of physical and psychological abuse, exacerbated by overcrowding.
Gergerlioğlu, who has built a profile in parliament by documenting alleged rights abuses in prisons and police custody, said he expects a “transparent and urgent” response from the government over the claims related to the Erzurum Dumlu Prison.
