News Flash
European Anti-Torture Committee visits Turkey
A delegation of the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of
Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) carried out an ad
hoc visit to Turkey from 21 to 27 March 2002.
The visit was carried out by two members of the CPT: Silvia
CASALE (a British criminologist and President of the CPT) and Davor STRINOVIĆ
(a Croatian forensic doctor). They were assisted by Dan DERMENGIU (a Romanian
forensic doctor) as well as by Trevor STEVENS (Executive Secretary) and Michael
KELLETT of the CPT’s Secretariat.
One of the main purposes of the visit was to examine the
implementation in practice of recent legal reforms concerning custody by law
enforcement agencies. The CPT’s delegation also explored recent cases of
resort to the provisions of Article 3(c) of Legislative Decree No. 430, under
which prisoners who have to be questioned as part of the investigation of
offences giving rise to the declaration of a state of emergency may be returned
to the custody of law enforcement agencies. In this connection, the delegation
visited Ankara Police Headquarters (Anti-Terror Department) as well as various
police and gendarmerie establishments in the Diyarbakır province. Further,
prisoners were interviewed in the Diyarbakır I and II prisons.
In addition, the CPT’s delegation reviewed the development
of communal activities for inmates in the new F-type prisons. For this purpose,
a visit was carried out to Sincan F-type Prison.
During the visit, the CPT’s delegation met Mr Hikmet Sami TÜRK,
Minister for Justice, and had discussions with senior officials from the
Ministries of Justice, the Interior, Foreign Affairs and Health. Other officials
met included Mr Gökhan AYDEMIR, Governor of the State of Emergency Region, Mr
Sait GÜRLEK, Chief Public Prosecutor of the Republic in the Diyarbakır
province, and Mr Şaban ERTÜRK, Chief Public Prosecutor at the Diyarbakır
State Security Court.
The CPT’s delegation also held talks with representatives
of the Human Rights Association in Ankara and Diyarbakır, as well as with
representatives of the Bar Association in Diyarbakır.
