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Press Release

Visit to Turkey by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture

STRASBOURG, 18.09.2001 - A delegation of the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has recently carried out a two-week periodic visit to Turkey. The visit started simultaneously in Ankara and Istanbul on Sunday, 2 September 2001. It was the Committee's twelfth visit to Turkey.

The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:

    -     Silvia CASALE, President of the Committee and Head of the delegation (British)
    -     Aleš BUTALA (Slovenian)
    -     Renate KICKER (Austrian)
    -     Marc NÈVE (Belgian)
    -     Gisela PERREN-KLINGLER (Swiss)
    -     Davor STRINOVIĆ (Croatian).

They were assisted by Timothy HARDING (Director of the University Institute of Forensic Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland), as well as by three members of the CPT's Secretariat, Trevor STEVENS (Executive Secretary), Michael KELLETT and Michael NEURAUTER.

In the course of the visit, the CPT’s delegation met Mr Hikmet Sami TÜRK, Minister for Justice, Mr Rüştü Kazim YÜCELEN, Minister for the Interior, and Mr Nejat ARSEVEN, Minister of State responsible for Human Rights. Further, it held consultations with senior officials from the Ministries of Justice, the Interior, Foreign Affairs, National Defence and Health.

Discussions were also held with members of the Human Rights Association in Ankara, as well as with representatives of the Association's branches in Elâziğ, Istanbul, Şanliurfa and Van.

The delegation reviewed the treatment and physical conditions of detention of persons deprived of their liberty by law enforcement agencies, including persons held under aliens legislation. It also visited two F-type prisons, in order to examine the implementation of communal activity programmes for prisoners held in such establishments. Another issue focussed upon by the delegation was the treatment of juveniles, in both reformatories and closed prison establishments. Further, a follow-up visit was made to Imralı Prison (first visited in March 1999) in order to review the conditions of detention of Abdullah ÖCALAN, the establishment's sole inmate.

The delegation visited the following places:

    -     Ağri Police Headquarters
    -     Ankara Police Headquarters
    -     Edirne Police Headquarters
    -     Elâziğ Police Headquarters
    -     Erzurum Police Headquarters
    -     Istanbul Police Headquarters
    -     Şanliurfa Police Headquarters
    -     Tekirdağ Police Headquarters
    -     Van Police Headquarters
    -     Provincial Gendarmerie Headquarters, Elâziğ
    -     Provincial Gendarmerie Headquarters, Van
    -     Various district and local police and gendarmerie establishments in Elâziğ, Çervas, Istanbul, Patnos, Şanliurfa, Sivrice and Suruç.
    -     Detention facilities at the Kapikule border post
    -     Detention facilities at Istanbul International Airport

    -     Imralı Prison
    -     Şanliurfa Prison
    -     Sincan F-type Prison
    -     Tekirdağ F-type Prison N° I

    -     Ankara Reformatory for Juveniles
    -     Elâziğ Reformatory for Juveniles.

The delegation also went to the following establishments, in order to interview certain categories of prisoners (in particular new arrivals, juveniles and women):

    -     Elâziğ Prison
    -     Elmadağ Prison for Juveniles
    -     Istanbul Prison and Detention House (Bayrampaşa)
    -     Metris Prison (Istanbul)
    -     Sivrice District Prison
    -     Üsküdur Paşakapısı Prison and Detention House (Istanbul)
    -     Van Prison.

In accordance with Article 11 of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the information gathered by the CPT during the visit and its consultations with the Turkish authorities are confidential.

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The CPT was set up under the 1987 European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Forty one of the 43 member States of the Council of Europe are bound by the Convention: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. When they joined the Council of Europe in January 2001, Armenia and Azerbaijan undertook to ratify the Convention within one year.

The CPT is composed of persons from a variety of backgrounds: lawyers, medical doctors, police and prison experts, persons with parliamentary experience, etc. The Committee's task is to examine the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty. For this purpose, it is entitled to visit any place where such persons are held by a public authority and to interview those persons in private. The Committee may formulate recommendations to strengthen, if necessary, their protection against torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

The CPT organises periodic visits as well as any other visits which appear to it to be required in the circumstances.

* * *

Further information about the CPT may be obtained from:

    -     the CPT's Internet Site: www.cpt.coe.int
    -     the Council of Europe Press Department:
          Sabine ZIMMER, tel. +33/(0)3 88 41 25 97; fax +33/(0)3 88 41 27 90; 
          e-mail pressunit@coe.int
    -     the CPT's Secretariat: tel. +33/(0)3 88 41 39 39; fax +33/(0)3 88 41 27 72; 
          e-mail cptdoc@coe.int