CPT/Inf (99) 2 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 5 to 17 October 1997 The Turkish Government has authorised the publication of this visit report and of its interim report in response. The response of the Turkish Government is set out in document CPT/Inf (99) 3. Strasbourg, 23 February 1999 - 2 - CONTENTS Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT's report ............................................................................5 I. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................5 A. Dates of the visit and composition of the delegation ..............................................................6 B. Establishments visited...............................................................................................................7 C. Consultations held by the delegation.......................................................................................8 D. Co-operation encountered during the visit.............................................................................8 E. Action taken upon immediate observations under Article 8, paragraph 5, of the Convention ...............................................................................................9 F. Other measures taken by the Turkish authorities after the visit .........................................9 II. FACTS FOUND DURING THE VISIT AND ACTION PROPOSED ................................9 A. Law enforcement agencies......................................................................................................10 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................10 2. Action to combat torture and ill-treatment ......................................................................11 a. the Prime Minister's Circular of 3 December 1997................................................11 b. maximum police custody periods in respect of offences falling under the jurisdiction of the State Security Courts ("State Security Court offences")...........................................................................12 c. safeguards for persons suspected of State Security Court offences.......................12 d. safeguards for ordinary criminal suspects..............................................................14 e. information on rights..............................................................................................15 f. judicial control of the extension of police custody ................................................16 g. forensic examination of persons in police custody ................................................17 h. control and supervision of the law enforcement agencies .....................................19 i. legal proceedings in respect of ill-treatment ..........................................................20 j. training of law enforcement officials .....................................................................21 k. general human rights awareness.............................................................................23 3. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................23 a. Foreigners' Department at Istanbul Police Headquarters.......................................23 b. other police establishments ....................................................................................27 - 3 - B. Prisons and reformatories ......................................................................................................31 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................31 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................33 3. Izmir (Buca) Prison .........................................................................................................35 a. introduction ............................................................................................................35 b. conditions of detention...........................................................................................35 i. material conditions .......................................................................................35 ii. activities for prisoners ..................................................................................38 4. Mersin E-type Prison .......................................................................................................38 a. introduction ............................................................................................................39 b. conditions of detention...........................................................................................39 i. material conditions .......................................................................................39 ii. activities for prisoners ..................................................................................41 5. Ünye Closed Prison .........................................................................................................42 a. introduction ............................................................................................................42 b. conditions of detention...........................................................................................43 6. Izmir Reformatory for Juveniles......................................................................................43 a. introduction ............................................................................................................44 b. the disciplinary unit................................................................................................44 c. conditions of detention...........................................................................................46 i. material conditions .......................................................................................46 ii. activities........................................................................................................46 7. Health-care services.........................................................................................................47 a. introduction ............................................................................................................48 b. staff resources.........................................................................................................49 c. specialist care .........................................................................................................51 d. medical screening on admission.............................................................................52 e. medical files and confidentiality ............................................................................53 f. access to a doctor and medication..........................................................................54 g. prison wards in general State Hospitals .................................................................54 8. Other issues related to the CPT's mandate.......................................................................55 a. contact with the outside world ...............................................................................55 b. discipline ................................................................................................................56 c. complaints and inspection procedures ...................................................................58 d. information for prisoners........................................................................................59 - 4 - C. Psychiatric hospitals ...............................................................................................................59 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................60 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................61 3. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) ....................................................................................62 4. Follow-up visit to Bakırköy Mental and Psychological Health Hospital........................63 a. Ward 13..................................................................................................................63 b. patients' living conditions and treatment in other parts of the Judicial Psychiatric Service .........................................................................64 c. staff.........................................................................................................................66 5. Samsun Regional Psychiatric Hospital............................................................................67 a. patients' living conditions and treatment................................................................67 b. the prison ward.......................................................................................................70 c. staff.........................................................................................................................72 6. Seclusion and other means of physical restraint..............................................................72 7. Safeguards for psychiatric