Following a visit to prisons in Kurdish cities last month, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) directed severe criticism at the Turkish government for not providing any kind of medical assistance for sick prisoners.

In a letter to Minister of Justice Sadullah Ergin, IPPNW called attention to inhumane treatment and poor conditions in prisons, calling on the Turkish state to obey international conventions it signed and to release cancer patient detainees and prisoners in particular.

“Many seriously ill Kurdish prisoners in Turkey’s prisons currently lie at death's door”, warned the IPPNW.

IPPNW urged the Turkish government to immediately meet the medical needs of sick prisoners who –IPPNW underlined- haven’t been released despite expert reports of specialists.

On the other hand, Human Rights Association (IHD) Adana Branch made a press release on sick prisoners and violations of rights in Turkey’s prisons. ID Adana Chair Adnan Öðrü remarked that the President doesn’t pay attention to the situation of sick prisoners and added; “Thirteen prisoners in Kurdish region’s prisons lost their lives in 2011 because of government’s negligence and sicknesses. The researches our Association has conducted reveal that there are currently a total of 256 sick prisoners, among whom 106 are on a bad and critical condition because of terminal illnesses. Detainees and prisoners in a critical situation should be released in the soonest time.”