The number of prisoners in Turkey's prisons has reached 420,904, according to Oct 2025 prison statistics released by the Civil Society in the Penal System Association (CİSST). This marks a sevenfold increase from the 59,429 recorded in 2002, the year the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power.
CİSST data shows that the total capacity of Turkey’s 402 prisons is 304,964, meaning the prison population now stands at 138% of capacity. Of all prisoners, 120,013 are held in open prisons, while 300,891 are in closed facilities.
Among all incarcerated individuals, 357,646 are convicted and 63,258 are in pretrial detention. Also, 200 identify as LGBTI+, 14,276 are foreign nationals, and 1,453 are serving aggravated life sentences.
CİSST publishes prisons map of Turkey to enhance public data access
There are 269 prisoners with disabilities, including 42 who are visually impaired, 28 with hearing impairments, and 162 with orthopedic conditions.
The data also reveals that 6,543 prisoners are over the age of 65. As of 2025, 77,014 prisoners were continuing their education, and 58,500 were engaged in insured vocational activities. Among the total population are 4,561 minors aged 12 to 18, including 187 girls. Additionally, 434 children aged 0–3 and 388 aged 4–6 are living in prison with their incarcerated mothers, of whom there are 19,290.
CİSST’s report highlights a particularly sharp rise in the number of pretrial detainees. The overall inmate population rose by 0.4% from the previous month and by 4.4% over the past six months. The report attributes this trend in part to the increasing use of pretrial detention as a punitive tool.
AKP, criminalization and the Republic of 'Campus' Prisons
'Prison population linked to government policies'
Hürrem Sönmez, secretary general of the İstanbul Bar Association and coordinator at the Center for Research and Monitoring of Fair Trial Violations, said the figures are closely linked to government policies.
“There is a direct connection between prison overcrowding and the state’s penal policies,” Sönmez told bianet. “Criticizing the government should fall under freedom of expression, but these statements are increasingly criminalized, and people are prosecuted and detained as a result. This has a direct impact on prison capacity.”
She added that administrative oversight boards often block releases, even for prisoners who meet the conditions for supervised release, which she said also contibutes to overcrowding.
Release of 28 prisoners from 13 prisons delayed
Sönmez emphasized that the transformation of pretrial detention from a protective legal measure into a punitive one is a central factor behind the rising prison population.
“Courts are supposed to interpret the law in favor of individual freedoms, but instead they often rule for detention. In our legal system, detention is supposed to be the exception, while release pending trial is the rule. But in recent years, this principle has been reversed in Turkey,” she said.
'Overcrowding leads to more violations'
Overcrowding leads to human rights violations within prisons, Sönmez warned. “Prisons holding far more inmates than they’re designed for results in increased rights violations. We witness violations stemming from staff shortages or mismanagement. For example, visiting hours may be limited or lawyer visitation rooms may be inadequate due to physical constraints.”
Arguing that the right to a fair trial is being systematically undermined, Sönmez said, “The solution lies in ending arbitrary pretrial detention, properly applying the penal enforcement laws, and putting a stop to sentence extensions. Detention must stop being used as a punishment and be restored to its original function as a legal safeguard.”
“A detained or convicted individual is entrusted to the state with both their physical and mental health. Therefore, it is essential to ensure the protections enshrined in domestic and international law to prevent human rights violations," she concluded.
(AB/VK)
sa.jpg)
