Several union members arrested in Turkey’s Aydın province say they were subjected to humiliating strip-searches in prison, the Artı Gerçek news website reported on Monday.
Fatma Alökmen, deputy chair of the Revolutionary Textile Workers’ Union, along with union members Yücel Memiş, Serdar Gür, Rohat Ayas and Emine Turan, were arrested on November 29 for alleged links to a terrorist organization. The arrestees claim that their detention on November 27 was without justification and their silence afterwards was used as evidence of membership in a terrorist organization.
Three of the detainees — Memiş, Gür and Ayas — were reportedly strip-searched upon arrival at Söke High-Security Prison, union officials said during a press conference organized by the Human Rights Association in İzmir.
“Strip-searches are a form of torture and a crime against humanity,” union representative Sonay Tezcan said. A banner reading “Strip-search is torture!” hung behind her.
Tezcan condemned the searches, calling them inhumane and politically motivated. “Despite repeated denials by authorities [that inappropriate strip-searches are conducted], these degrading practices were imposed on our members under the supervision of a prison doctor,” she said.
The allegations highlight broader concerns about prisoner treatment in Turkey, Tezcan added. “This is not an isolated incident but part of systemic abuse targeting workers and activists,” she said.
According to Turkish legal regulations, strip-searches can only be conducted in exceptional cases, such as when there are credible indications that the person has contraband materials on their person. In such cases, the search must be conducted in a manner so as not to humiliate the individual and must be performed as quickly as possible. When there is a credible suspicion that something is hidden inside the person’s body, officers are required to ask the person to remove it themselves and inform them that if they disobey, the removal will be performed by the prison doctor.
The union also raised concerns about the treatment of Alökmen and Turan. Tezcan said both women were held in solitary confinement for two weeks and denied adequate food and medical care.
“Emine Turan, who has serious health issues, was not provided with her prescribed medications,” Tezcan said, adding that delays in treatment continued after their transfer to İzmir-Şakran Women’s Prison.
The allegations have intensified criticism of prison conditions in Turkey, where rights groups have repeatedly documented cases of abuse.
The denial of medical care and humane conditions to inmates and detainees in Turkey has become a recurring issue, drawing criticism from human rights organizations. Chronic overcrowding, inadequate resources and poor infrastructure in prisons exacerbate the problem, leaving inmates — particularly those with severe illnesses — without access to critical treatment. Despite international standards requiring proper healthcare for prisoners, systemic neglect remains pervasive in Turkey’s penal system.
