ANKARA – Ömer Faruk Yazmacı, co-spokesperson of the Prison Commission of the Human Rights Association (İHD), criticized the ongoing violations in Turkish prisons, stating that “Prison Administrative and Observation Boards are directly targeting hopes for peace and democratic resolution.”

 

Yazmacı highlighted that parole delays and the cancellation of sentences have become widespread due to decisions made by these boards. He pointed to the recent case at Bolu F-Type Prison, where the release of 35 prisoners was blocked. He also noted that prisoners at Sincan No. 2 High-Security Prison were subjected to psychological abuse, based on İHD’s recent findings.

 

ABSURD AND UNLAWFUL JUSTIFICATIONS

 

According to Yazmacı, similar practices are observed across the country. He described the justifications for sentence extensions as “absurd” and “unlawful,” such as possessing old newspapers, allegedly violating energy-saving measures, or being over 70 years old and not enrolled in education programs. In one instance, a prisoner’s parole was denied based on a recorded phone call in which they allegedly argued with a family member. Previous disciplinary records are also being used arbitrarily to prolong imprisonment.

 

OBSERVATION BOARDS ACTING WITH POLITICAL INTENT

 

Yazmacı argued that the boards’ actions are not merely administrative but serve a political function, undermining peace efforts and targeting political prisoners. He criticized Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç’s statement that the boards are merely “administrative bodies” requiring no legal reform, pointing out the systemic nature of the problem.

 

A STRUCTURAL AND IDEOLOGICAL ISSUE

 

Describing the boards as tools of institutionalized injustice, Yazmacı claimed that they ignore the spirit of peace and reconciliation, referring to the National Security Council’s earlier “collapse plan” to suppress the Kurdish movement. He said that the current system empowers deep state actors and ideologically driven structures within prisons and beyond, affecting everything from university administrations to the judiciary. This system, he said, manifests clearly in the arbitrary extension of Kurdish prisoners’ sentences.

 

PROSECUTOR: ‘THERE IS NO PEACE IN PRISON!’

 

Yazmacı recalled an incident during a visit to Kırıkkale Prison, where a prosecutor openly stated, “Peace is outside these walls; there is no peace in prison,” before any meeting had even begun. He said that this reflects the broader attitude of the prison system and its resistance to democratic solutions.

 

‘LET THE MINISTER FIX IT THEN’

 

Yazmacı called on Parliament to act, stating that these violations must be addressed before any legal reforms are passed. Referring to the Justice Minister’s claim that such issues could be resolved with a phone call, he said: “Then let the minister go ahead and fix it.” He warned that the current structure undermines the legal system and poses a serious risk to the legitimacy of the state. “The regulations legitimizing these boards must be abolished immediately,” Yazmacı concluded.

 

MA / Omer Gungor