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Report to the Turkish Government on the Visit to Turkey Carried Out

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Report to the Turkish Government on the Visit to Turkey Carried Out CPT/Inf (2011) 13 Report to the Turkish Government on the visit to Turkey carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 4 to 17 June 2009 The Turkish Government has requested the publication of this report and of its response. The Government’s response is set out in document CPT/Inf (2011) 14. Strasbourg, 31 March 2011 - 2 - CONTENTS Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT’s report............................................................................4 I. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................5 A. Dates of the visit and composition of the delegation ..............................................................5 B. Establishments visited...............................................................................................................6 C. Co-operation and consultations held by the delegation.........................................................7 D. Immediate observations under Article 8, paragraph 5, of the Convention .........................9 II. FACTS FOUND DURING THE VISIT AND ACTION PROPOSED ..............................10 A. Monitoring of places of deprivation of liberty......................................................................10 B. Law enforcement agencies......................................................................................................11 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................11 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................11 3. Safeguards against ill-treatment ......................................................................................13 a. notification of custody............................................................................................13 b. access to a lawyer...................................................................................................14 c. medical examinations of persons in police/gendarmerie custody..........................15 d. information on rights..............................................................................................16 e. specific issues related to minors.............................................................................17 f. custody registers.....................................................................................................18 g. monitoring and recording of interviews by law enforcement officials ..................19 h. inspection procedures.............................................................................................20 4. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................21 C. Foreign nationals held under aliens legislation ....................................................................23 1. Detention centres for foreigners ......................................................................................23 a. preliminary remarks ...............................................................................................23 b. ill-treatment ............................................................................................................24 c. conditions of detention...........................................................................................25 d. health care ..............................................................................................................28 e. other issues .............................................................................................................28 2. Legal situation of immigration detainees ........................................................................30 - 3 - 3. Holding facilities for foreign nationals in the transit zone of Istanbul International Airport .............................................................................................................................32 4. Deportation of foreign nationals by air............................................................................32 D. Establishments under the Ministry of Justice ......................................................................34 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................34 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................36 3. Conditions of detention of adult prisoners at Erzurum E-type and H-type Prisons and Konya E-type Prison........................................................................................................38 a. material conditions .................................................................................................38 b. activities .................................................................................................................40 4. Conditions of detention of juvenile prisoners..................................................................43 5. Kırıkkale F-type Prison ...................................................................................................44 6. Health care.......................................................................................................................47 a. introduction ............................................................................................................47 b. staff and treatment..................................................................................................47 c. medical screening...................................................................................................50 d. medical confidentiality...........................................................................................51 7. Other issues......................................................................................................................52 a. discipline ................................................................................................................52 b. segregation .............................................................................................................53 c. security-related issues ............................................................................................54 d. inspection procedures.............................................................................................54 E. Hasdal Military Prison ...........................................................................................................55 APPENDIX I: LIST OF THE CPT’S RECOMMENDATIONS, COMMENTS AND REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION ...........................................................................57 APPENDIX II: LIST OF THE NATIONAL AUTHORITIES AND ORGANISATIONS MET BY THE CPT’S DELEGATION.................................................................................71 - 4 - Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT’s report Mr Kaan Esener Deputy Director General for the Council of Europe and Human Rights Ministry of Foreign Affairs TR - Ankara Strasbourg, 16 December 2009 Dear Sir In pursuance of Article 10, paragraph 1, of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, I enclose herewith the report to the Turkish Government drawn up by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) following its visit to Turkey from 4 to 17 June 2009. The report was adopted by the CPT at its 70th meeting, held from 2 to 5 November 2009. The various recommendations, comments and requests for information formulated by the CPT are listed in Appendix I. As regards more particularly the CPT’s recommendations, having regard to Article 10 of the Convention, the Committee requests the Turkish authorities to provide within six months a response giving a full account of action taken to implement them. The CPT trusts that it will also be possible for the Turkish authorities to provide, in their response, reactions to the comments formulated in this report as well as replies to the requests for information. The CPT would ask, in the event of the response being forwarded in Turkish, that it be accompanied by an English or French translation. It would also be most helpful if the Turkish authorities could provide a copy of the response in a computer-readable form. I am at your entire disposal if you have any questions concerning either the CPT’s report or the future procedure. Yours faithfully Mauro Palma President of the European Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment - 5 - I. INTRODUCTION A. Dates of the visit and composition of the delegation 1. In pursuance of Article 7 of the European Convention for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (hereinafter referred to as “the Convention”), a delegation of the CPT carried out a visit to Turkey from 4 to 17 June 2009. The visit formed part of the CPT’s programme of periodic visits for 2009. It was the Committee’s fifth periodic visit to Turkey. 2. The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT: - Aleš BUTALA, Head of delegation - Sonja KURTÉN-VARTIO - Marc NÈVE - Jean-Pierre RESTELLINI - Antonius Maria VAN KALMTHOUT. They were supported by Michael NEURAUTER, Head of Division, and Elvin ALIYEV
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