'Women prisoners work 12 hours a day for 600 lira'

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Poor conditions and violations of rights in a women's prison in Bakırköy, İstanbul was brought up in the Parliament, during the discussions on the budget of the Ministry of Justice in the planning and budget commission by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Yıldırım Kaya.

Kaya told about his visit to Mücella Yapıcı, Çiğdem Mater and Mine Özerden, the three women, all Gezi prisoners kept in this prison and gave general information and reflected his impressions about the poor conditions and the oppression in the prison.

The three Gezi prisoners, were not in any way able to find an answer to the question "Why are we here?" told Kaya the commission. 

600 lira for working 12 hours a day

Kaya also told the commission that he wants to share the problems of not only the Gezi prisoners but all 1.100 prisoners kept in the Bakırköy women's prison.

■ Subsistence allowance (for food and other needs) was recently increased from 18 lira to 22 lira. It is completely insufficient. 
■ There is no sanitary ped in the women's prison.
■ Half of the women do not have any income that they receive from outside.
■ Only 338 lira (18 dollars) a month is given to the prisoners who do cleaning daily.
■ The women who tailor the best bed clothes of Türkiye, working 12 hours a day, are paid only 600 lira (32 dollars) a month.
■ One woman can only buy from the canteen things worth 1000 lira a week. This amount has not been raised since last year.
■ There are serious problems concerning hygiene.
■ Women are requesting books but they cannot receive them even after the books undergo inspection by administration.

(AEK/PE)