ADANA – At least 46 ill prisoners, 11 of whom are in critical condition, are currently held in prisons across the Cukurova region. Mehtap Sert from the Human Rights Association (IHD) emphasized the urgent need for their release.
Following Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society” announced on February 27 and subsequent decisions made at the PKK congress, one of the most discussed issues has been the freedom of ill prisoners.
According to a report by the Human Rights Association (İHD), there are at least one thousand 412 ill prisoners in Turkish prisons, 335 of whom are in serious condition. In prisons located in the Çukurova region, 46 ill prisoners have been identified, with 11 in critical condition. Specifically, 35 are in Adana Kurkculer and Suluca Prisons (11 in critical condition), 6 in Osmaniye Prison, 1 in Hatay Prison, and 4 in Iskenderun Prison (1 in critical condition).
FORENSIC MEDICINE INSTITUTE OBSTRUCTION
Attorney Mehtap Sert, spokesperson for the İHD Iskenderun Branch Prison Commission, stated that reports from the Forensic Medicine Institute (ATK) are being used to block the release of ill prisoners.
“Even when state hospitals report that a prisoner cannot remain in prison, the ATK, acting on political motives, prevents their release. They prolong the report process, turning it into a form of torture. For example, prisoner İsmail Tanboğa was diagnosed with stomach cancer and treated for an extended period at İskenderun Type T Closed Prison. Due to being fed only milk and biscuits, he dropped to 34 kilograms. After persistent efforts, he was referred to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute, where protein leakage in his kidneys was detected. Despite this, Tanboğa was not released, which constitutes a violation of his right to life,” Mehtap Sert said.
‘ILL PRISONERS MUST BE RELEASED’
Mehtap Sert continued: “Severely ill prisoners should be immediately released based on any full medical report from a competent hospital. However, due to bureaucratic procedures, they are forced to go from one hospital to another. Even if they manage to obtain the required report, the prosecutor’s discretion must also be favorable for the release to occur. Practices such as handcuffed medical examinations, oral cavity searches, and examinations in the presence of gendarmes grossly violate patients' rights. Legal objections to these practices are often met with impunity in the judiciary. Ill prisoners must be released without delay.”