Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) lawmaker Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu said in a social media post on Monday that Turkish prisons were struggling with severe overcrowding.
In a video tweet where he appears to be speaking in front of Ankara’s Sincan Prison, Gergerlioğlu said Turkish prisons currently hold 400,000 inmates, despite having a total capacity of just 300,000. “Nearly 100,000 people are forced to sleep on the floor due to a lack of space,” he said and described the situation as a “major crisis.”
The overcrowding in Turkey’s prisons has been a growing issue since 2005, with prison populations swelling annually. According to Ministry of Justice data, Turkey’s prisons now operate at 20 percent over capacity, with the country leading Europe in both total prison population and incarceration rates per capita.
Gergerlioğlu linked prison overcrowding to unfair trials where excessively harsh sentences are handed down, as well as the denial of parole despite eligibility. He warned that as a result, prisons keep getting more and more overcrowded.
The government has weaponized incarceration by denying parole to over 8,500 inmates since 2021, including many political prisoners.
Parole is granted in Turkish prisons based on the decision of administrative observation boards established in January 2021, which have frequently delayed parole by three to six months, raising concerns over multiple rights violations. The boards have repeatedly delayed the release of inmates, citing “a lack of good behavior.”
In Turkey’s prison system, inmates accumulate good behavior points based on their compliance with prison regulations, participation in rehabilitation programs and overall conduct. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher numbers reflecting better behavior.
While there is no officially disclosed minimum threshold for parole eligibility, inmates with scores above 60 are often considered for conditional release. However, administrative observation boards have broad discretion in determining parole outcomes.
Beyond arbitrary denials of parole, Turkish prisons are overcrowded with critically ill inmates who are pleading for release to receive proper medical care. Many prisoners remain behind bars despite medical reports saying they are not fit for prison and should be immediately released.
Poor health coupled with unsanitary and unsuitable prison conditions have resulted in the death of many sick inmates. Since 2002 more than 5,300 inmate deaths have been reported, including 709 in the first 11 months of 2024 alone.
