Human rights advocates have vehemently criticised the appalling conditions within Turkey’s Y-type high-security prisons, urging for immediate reforms. Often termed “pit-type” prisons, Y-type facilities serve designated high-risk inmates, including political prisoners and those convicted of terrorism-related crimes. Since their inception in 2021, these 12 prisons have drawn ire for harsh solitary confinement practices, which curtail social interaction and severely limit yard time and recreational activities.
Prominent lawyer Barkın Timtik highlighted inmates’ suffering, stating they “barely saw the sky” within the confines of Y-type prisons. He condemned these institutions as designed for the “destruction” of inmates’ mental health, pointing out the oppressive architecture that prevents sunlight and fresh air from entering. Timtik’s stark observation that “the sky is never visible” conveys the grim realities faced by those imprisoned.
Revealing the severity of their conditions, Timtik emphasised that Y-type facilities are worse than other maximum-security prisons where there is at least some human contact. In stark contrast, the Y-type prisons operate with electronic management, reducing any personal interaction to just an hour of daily yard access, leaving inmates isolated.
Last year, the opposition Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) exposed overcrowding issues in a report that reaffirmed public concerns. Inmates who protested these inhospitable conditions faced harsh disciplinary action; moreover, those in other prisons were often transferred to Y-type facilities as punitive measures. Family accounts, such as that of Sultan Acar, revealed the dire conditions, including freezing cells stripped of sunlight and total denial of recreational activity.
DEM lawmaker Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu condemned the inhumane treatment, noting that inmates are deprived of peaceful sleep due to disruptive light checks at night. Gestures of cruelty permeate through the institution, as guard interventions treat the inmates as mere statistics. “This is unbelievable and just cruel,” he stated, reflecting the widespread sentiment of injustice.
The constant surveillance, including through cameras in potentially vulnerable moments, is alleged to contribute to rising cases of mental illness and suicide among the imprisoned. As a form of protest, nine inmates have reportedly commenced a hunger strike, now approaching 200 days, further alarming their families about their deteriorating health. Opposition leaders and activists continue to demand the closure of these Y-type prisons as a critical step towards justice and humane treatment of all prisoners.
Turkey’s Y-type high-security prisons face severe criticism for inhumane conditions, marked by solitary confinement and restricted social interaction. Legal experts and opposition lawmakers call for urgent reforms amid reports of overcrowding, mental health crises, and punitive measures against protesting inmates. Conditions have deteriorated to the point of a hunger strike among inmates, prompting intervention demands from human rights advocates.
The situation in Turkey’s Y-type prisons presents an urgent humanitarian crisis, marked by inhumane conditions and severe isolation experienced by inmates. Calls for reform echo through legal and political channels as advocates highlight the absence of rehabilitation, overcrowding, and detrimental mental health effects. The plight underscored by hunger strikes and family testimonies reveals a pressing need for systemic change to uphold human dignity within the penal system.
Original Source: stockholmcf.org
