ADANA – DEM Party MP Ali Bozan said that some prisoners have been unable to go to hospitals for three years due to forced oral searches. After visiting prisons in Antalya and Burdur, Bozan stated, “The problems are the same in most prisons, but the level of arbitrariness and unlawfulness depends on the management.”

 

Bozan visited Manavgat S-Type, Burdur High Security, Antalya High Security, and Antalya S-Type prisons, where he met with both inmates and prison administrators. He emphasized that inconsistencies between prisons reflect the Ministry of Justice’s arbitrary policies. “Even prisons just an hour apart have different practices. What determines this difference is not law, but the administration’s discretion,” he said.

 

‘THE MOST BASIC RIGHT IS BEING VIOLATED’

 

Bozan reported that prisoners’ right to health is being violated. “In some prisons, inmates have not been able to go to hospitals for 2–3 years due to oral search impositions. This practice does not exist in regulations and is contrary to human dignity. Those who refuse are simply denied hospital transfers,” he said.

 

He added that even when prisoners reach hospitals, they face obstacles: “If the doctor refuses to have handcuffs removed, the examination cannot take place. If the doctor agrees, the soldiers object. Prisoners want to be examined without handcuffs, this is a legal and humanitarian demand. The right to health has been effectively nullified.”

 

‘HEALTH RIGHTS CANNOT BE LIMITED BY CAPACITY’

 

Bozan noted that infirmary access and hospital transfers are frequently delayed: “Authorities cite overcapacity, but health rights cannot be limited by capacity. The state has an absolute obligation to protect the health of those under its custody.”

 

‘ISOLATION WITHIN ISOLATION’

 

The MP also highlighted the structural isolation in high-security prisons. “These prisons were designed for those serving aggravated life sentences, but now people with shorter terms or pre-trial detainees are held there. Prisoners are completely isolated by floor, one floor for political prisoners, another for ordinary offenders. This is isolation within isolation,” Bozan said.

 

He stressed that the restrictions on social, sports, and workshop activities are unlawful: “Common areas are being denied under the pretext of overcapacity. These conditions violate both national laws and international human rights standards.”

 

‘PROVOCATIVE ATTITUDES OBSERVED’

 

Bozan criticized the government’s approach to prisons during the AKP’s 23-year rule, saying that “more prisons and harsher sentences have not brought justice.” He stressed that the Ministry of Justice’s general stance shapes the attitude of prison administrators: “Some perceive even the discussion of a peace process as a threat. As a result, we are observing provocative behaviors in certain prisons.”

 

He called for the developments in Ankara and Imralı to be reflected in the daily lives of prisoners: “If this process is sincere, its impact must reach every prison cell.”

 

Bozan said he will present his findings to the Ministry of Justice and the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission, calling for on-site inspections of Manavgat, Burdur, and Antalya prisons: “Prisoners must be heard, and the violations must be seen firsthand. This is not only a need in the prisons I visited but in all 405 prisons across Turkey.”

 

Bozan added: “If we are to speak of real justice, democracy, and a peace process, the starting point must be the prisons, because there, the law and human dignity are tested in their most naked form.”

 

MA / Hamdullah Yagiz Kesen