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Strasbourg - 07.12.2006 - A delegation of the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has just completed a two-week visit to Turkey (22 November to 4 December 2006).
The main objective of the visit was to examine the situation of patients held in psychiatric hospitals, in particular as regards living conditions and treatment (including electroconvulsive therapy - ECT). The delegation also looked into the legal safeguards related to involuntary placement procedures and their implementation in practice. For the first time in Turkey, the delegation also visited two social welfare institutions.
The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:
• Aleš BUTALA, Head of delegation
(Slovenian)
• Pétur HAUKSSON (Icelander)
• Veronica PIMENOFF (Finnish).
They were supported by Michael NEURAUTER (Head of Division) and Elvin ALIYEV of the CPT's Secretariat, and assisted by two experts: Gavin GARMAN, Head of Forensic Mental Health Nursing, Thames Valley Forensic Mental Health Service (Oxford, United Kingdom), and Catherine PAULET, psychiatrist, Head of the Regional Medical and Psychological Service, Baumettes Prison (Marseilles, France).
The delegation visited the following places of deprivation of liberty:
Psychiatric hospitals
• Bakırköy Mental Health Hospital,
İstanbul
• Elazığ Mental Health Hospital
• Samsun Mental Health Hospital
Social welfare institutions
• Elazığ Home for Persons in Need
• Gaziantep Care and Rehabilitation
Centre.
The delegation also visited the temporary detention facilities at İstanbul-Zeytinburnu District Police Headquarters, in order to review the conditions under which foreign nationals were being held there.
At the outset of the visit, the delegation had fruitful discussions with Recep AKDAĞ, Minister of Health, and İsmail BARIŞ, Director General for Social Services and Child Protection.
In the course of the visit, the delegation met with judges of the civil courts in Elazığ and Samsun which are competent for involuntary placement and guardianship procedures. Meetings were also held with representatives of the Psychiatric Association of Turkey, the Turkish Neuropsychiatric Society, the Psychiatric Nurses Association and the NGO “Human Rights in Mental Health”.
At the end of the visit, during talks in Ankara, with senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, the Interior, Justice and National Defence, as well as with the Deputy Director General for Social Services and Child Protection, the delegation provided the Turkish authorities with its preliminary observations.
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