Money transfers from family or friends

Some Turkish prisons let prisoners receive international money transfers from friends or family but others do not. Ask the prison or British embassy or consulate to find out.

You cannot have cash sent to you in the post.

Prison accounts

When you arrive at prison you will be given a prison money account you can deposit your money in. You can use the money you or your family put in this to spend at the prison shop (‘kantin’).

How to make a complaint about mistreatment

Incidents of harassment, threats or violence against you are rare in Turkish prisons. If you have been mistreated either in prison, on arrest or whilst detained:

• try to see a doctor
• get a medical report

The British embassy or consulate can help if you have been mistreated or abused and will take all complaints seriously. If you decide to make a complaint it will ask your permission before taking any action.

You can also contact the relevant public prosecutor or the prison manager directly.

Your investigation and trial in Turkey

The Turkish justice system is very bureaucratic. It usually takes between 3 to 6 months for cases to be brought to trial but it can be longer. Turkish courts are very busy and some trials can take several years before a final decision is made.

There are no juries in Turkish trials. Consular staff do not usually attend the hearings.

The embassy or consulate cannot interfere with the Turkish judicial system. It cannot ask for your case to be judged more quickly just because you’re British, or ask the authorities to waive any penalties.

Choice of court

The type of court your case will be heard in normally depends on how serious the alleged offences are:

• the Criminal Peace Court (Sulh Ceza) - for minor offences
• the Criminal Court of First Instance (Asliye Ceza) - for more serious offences that can carry a prison sentence of 10 years or less
• the High Criminal Court (Ağır Ceza) - the highest court in Turkey, for the most serious offences and those that carry a prison sentence of more than 10 years or life

The trial

Your trial will be held in Turkish. The court will appoint and pay for an interpreter. No court proceedings can go ahead without the court-appointed interpreter. Consular staff cannot act as interpreters.

Trials are heard by 1 to 3 judges, depending on the crime, alongside the court clerk, prosecutor, lawyer, accused and the interpreter. All must be present or the hearing will be rescheduled. 

At the trial, witnesses, the prosecution and defence can:

• put forward their own claims and defences
• respond to the other party’s claims and defences
• question witnesses

After all the evidence is examined and the judge or judges have heard the case, the defendant will be given a last word.

The judge or judges will then consider or discuss the case and come to a verdict. When there are 3 judges the decision can be made by a majority vote.

The sentence will be given at a separate hearing. In some parts of Turkey foreign prisoners are transferred to a different prison after sentencing.          

Making an appeal

Your lawyer can appeal against the final decision within 7 working days. It will then be reviewed by the district appeal court. It can then go to the Supreme Court in the Turkish capital Ankara.

The appeals process is very slow and can lead to long delays in finalising the sentence.

Any appeals must be finished before a prisoner can apply for prison transfer to the UK. Prisoners have a right to withdraw the appeal if they want, or to waive the right to an appeal.

Prison conditions in Turkey

Prison conditions in Turkey can be very different depending on the size and age of the building, what part of the country it’s in and if it’s an open or closed prison. All prisons normally have a library, medical centre, open-air break areas and art and craft courses.

Closed prisons are guarded and do not let prisoners leave the prison. In open prisons, prisoners can leave the prison at certain times, for example weekends or holidays, or to work in certain jobs or attend training. They also have unrestricted access to telephones.

Letters and packages

Friends or family can send mail and parcels directly to the prison from abroad. It can sometimes take a long time to receive them, however. Turkish prisons only accept letters or parcels sent by the official Turkish postal service (PTT). Anything sent by private courier companies are not accepted.

Some parcels may have customs duty put on them. Although a notification should be sent to the prison, prisoners cannot go to the postal depot to pay the duty and collect the parcel from the postal depot. Unless a friend or relative collects the parcel it will normally be sent back to the UK after 30 days of arriving in Turkey.

Stamps and stationary

Stamps and stationary can be bought from the prison shop. Stamps cannot be sent to prisoners in the post.

Checks on your mail

All letters are opened and checked by prison staff before they are given to prisoners.

Telephone calls

You can normally use the telephone once a week - the day and times will be set for you by the prison. You’re only allowed to call the following close family:

• parents
• children
• spouses
• siblings
• aunts and uncles
• nieces and nephews

Phone numbers of relatives you want to call must be registered with the prison.

Calls are limited to 10 minutes each. Domestic and international calls are both allowed. Telephone cards are sold at the prison shop.

Video calls

A weekly 30-minute video call with close family is available at some prisons. Where these are available eligible prisoners can have more and longer video calls if they have not used their weekly visit allowance. Ask the prison if video calls are available and how they work.

Medical and dental treatment

Your basic medical needs must be met while you’re in prison. Basic medical attention and medication is free of charge.

All prisons have at least a basic infirmary, while larger prisons have bigger medical centres where basic treatment can be given, for example:

• dental treatment
• daily examinations
• vaccinations
• urgent dental care
• examinations of new prisoners

All state hospitals in Turkey also have a special ward for prisoners where specialist treatment can be given.

Most prisons have a dentist, if not the prisoner is referred to the nearest state dental clinic. Basic extractions and fillings may be done free of charge, but if the prisoner needs more complicated dental treatment they may need to pay.

Treatment for a new illness or condition 

If you want an appointment with the prison doctor or dentist you must fill in a request form and give it to the prison warden. 

How soon you will be seen depends on how urgent the issue is and how busy the prison doctor is. For urgent cases it should be the same day, in other cases it could take 2-3 days at least.

It’s unlikely that you will be treated by an English-speaking doctor.

Existing conditions

Tell the doctor about any on-going medical conditions you have. Contact the British embassy or consulate if you need help telling the prison about your medical needs or getting your medical or dental notes from the UK.

Drug and alcohol addiction

When you first arrive, you’ll be seen by the prison psychologist. If you have a drug addiction you’ll be monitored by the psychologist to ensure recovery. 

Drug trafficking between prisoners is widespread. Prisoners caught with any kind of illegal substances can be punished harshly.

Mental health care

Prisoners with severe mental health needs may be sent to a psychiatric hospital. Some prisons have their own psychiatric centres and are close to psychiatric hospitals. Less serious mental health issues may be treated by medication within the prison.

Emergency trips outside prison

You can apply for an emergency trip outside prison if an urgent matter comes up that cannot be postponed, like a funeral or critical illness of a relative. This must be authorised by the prison and chief public prosecutor - ask the prison for the right request form.

Food and diet

Prison food is free but very basic. Prisons supply 3 meals a day, are typically Turkish cuisine and provide all basic nutritional needs.

You can access tap water. You can buy extra items like tea, coffee, sugar, fruit, bottled water and sweets from the prison shop (‘kantin’).

Special diets

Special diets for health reasons may be available in some prisons but not for specific religious or lifestyle requirements.

Prison shop

The prison shop (‘kantin’) usually has a wide range of items prisoners can buy with the money in their prison account, for example:

• biscuits, chocolate and soft drinks
• cigarettes
• telephone cards
• stamps and stationary
• toiletries
• extra bedding
• underwear and clothes

Not all items will always be available, however.

Showers and hygiene

Showers and toilets are mostly shared with other prisoners. Hot water is available on designated days and hours. Prisoners need to buy their own toiletries from the prison shop.

Laundry facilities are available but basic. Prisoners are responsible for cleaning their cell.

Work and study

There’s work organised in closed prisons in Turkey, but unless you’re fluent in Turkish this may not be available to you.

Prison work is paid, and working days are up to 7.5 hours with a maximum of 45 hours a week.

All prisoners in open prison, unless they have a doctor’s exemption, have to work in jobs like woodwork, ceramics, weaving or agriculture. Salaries are given to and social service payments are made for open prisoners, and they also receive days off.

Books, languages and activities

If you’re placed in a ward you may socialise with other prisoners. Although there will be prisoners of different nationalities it is not always possible to be with English-speaking prisoners.

Most of the guards will not speak English.

You may order a Turkish/English dictionary to help you communicate with guards and other prisoners.

Prisons have libraries but may not have any books in English. If your prison accepts books the embassy or consulate will try to provide you some from donations.

You can order English language books from outside but they can be very expensive in Turkey and not widely available.

Prisoners Abroad might be able to send some reading material, language textbooks and dictionaries.

Courses and activities

Various workshops and courses are available although the waiting list is usually long. They’re all in Turkish and there is no interpretation.

You cannot arrange postal studies in Turkish prisons.

Exercise

Prisoners are given at least 1 hour a day to walk or exercise in the prison yard. Different prisons offer different leisure activities.

Clothing

Prisoners must provide their own clothing. You cannot wear blue, green or khaki-coloured clothes. The weather varies depending on where the prison is.

Religion

Prisoners can attend religion and ethics lessons, religious conferences and seminars. Muslim imams and religion and ethics teachers give classes up to 24 hours a week.

If you’re not a Muslim, you can meet with an authorised representative of your religion for religious and moral support, and receive religious books from them.

Mobile phones

Prisoners are not allowed mobile phones.

Transferring to another prison

Transfer to a prison in the UK

You can apply to transfer to a UK prison. The Turkish and British authorities both have to agree to it.

You must:

• be a British citizen or have close family ties with the UK (normally through permanent residence in the UK)
• not be awaiting trial - you must have been sentenced with a final verdict made
• have exhausted all appeals against your conviction or length of your sentence or have given up your right to an appeal
• have at least 6 months of your sentence left to serve
• have no outstanding fines or other non-custodial penalties

The offence you were convicted for must also be a criminal offence in the part of the UK you want to be transferred to: England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

To apply you must submit a written petition for transfer (translated into Turkish) to the prison authorities. The British embassy or consulate will help with this.

The Turkish authorities may refuse your request. The UK authorities may also refuse the transfer, for example if you have not lived in the UK for some time or have no close family there.

Transfer to another prison in Turkey

You can only be transferred to another prison in Turkey when there are exceptional compassionate, medical or administrative reasons. Not all prisons accept foreign prisoners.

You should write a petition letter to the prison governor if you want to transfer to another prison in Turkey. Contact the British embassy or consulate if you need advice.

Early release

Depending on the charge, after either a half, two thirds or three quarters of a sentence is completed your case will be assessed. You may then either be transferred to an open prison or released on parole.

Reduction of sentence (remission)

The judge can also decide to make deductions from the sentence for good behaviour (remission).

Clemency or pardon

Clemency is not considered in Turkey. General pardons sometimes happen but depend on the political situation in Turkey. Crimes seen as affecting the core values of society like rape, child abuse or serial murder are never considered for pardon.

Paying a fine instead of detention

If a fine was part of your sentence, this should be paid before release. Otherwise you will have to serve extra days instead of paying off the fine. The amount of the fine that can be reduced by each extra days served will be decided by the judge at sentencing - ask your lawyer for more information.

Release and deportation

Deportation

When you’re released from prison the police will take you to the nearest secure deportation centre and you will be deported as soon as possible. In most cases the Turkish authorities will tell the British embassy or consulate you’re being deported. You can contact the British embassy or consulate if you need help when you’re released.

If you have Turkish residency you will still normally be deported.

Flights to the UK

You or a friend or relative will need to buy your flight to the UK. Speak to the prison authorities to make sure it fits in with your deportation schedule. In special cases where a prisoner has no means to get their own flight the ticket might be provided by the Turkish authorities.

Getting a passport

Make sure your British passport is still in date. Contact the British embassy or consulate before you’re released if you need an emergency passport for your journey home.

Useful Turkish words and phrases

Useful legal terms

Lawyer	Avukat
Court	Mahkeme
Hearing	Duruşma
Law	Kanun
Prison	Cezaevi
Verdict	Karar

Key differences between English and Turkish

The Turkish Alphabet contains 29 letters. There are 8 vowels and 21 consonants. Although letters Q,W,X do not appear, there are 6 more letters; Ç, Ğ, Ş, Ö, Ü, I. The other letters are the same in both alphabets, but they’re pronounced differently.

Alphabet

A,a	a	as in apple
M,m	me	as in men
B,b	be	as in bell
N,n	ne	as in never
C,c	ce	as in jet
O,o	o	as in orchestra
Ç,ç	çe	as in chair
Ö,ö	ö	as in urge
D,d	de	as in decade
P,p	pe	as in pen
E,e	e	as in elephant
R,r	re	as in red
F,f	fe	as in fox
S,s	se	as in sell
G,g	ge	as in get
Ş,ş	şe	as in shelf
Ğ,ğ	ğe	Ğ does not occur at the beginning of a word. It is a silent letter and lengthens the letter that proceeds it
T,t	te	as in telephone
H,h	he	as in helicopter
U,u	u	as in zoo
I,ı	I	as in number
Ü,ü	ü	as in tube
İ	i	as in it
V,v	ve	as in vegetable
J,j	je	as in jump
Y,y	ye	as in yes
K,k	ke	as in kettle
Z,z	ze	as in zebra
L,l	le	as in leg

Months

January	Ocak
February	Şubat
March	Mart
April	Nisan
June	Haziran
July	Temmuz
August	Ağustos
September	Eylül
October	Ekim
November	Kasım
December	Aralık

Seasons

Spring	İlkbahar
Summer	Yaz
Autumn	Sonbahar
Winter	Kış

Days

Monday	Pazartesi
Tuesday	Salı
Wednesday	Çarşamba
Thursday	Perşembe
Friday	Cuma
Saturday	Cumartesi
Sunday	Pazar

Numbers

1	bir
2	iki
3	üç
4	dört
5	beş
6	altı
7	yedi
8	sekiz
9	dokuz
10	on
11	onbir
12	oniki
13	onüç
14	ondört
15	onbeş
16	onaltı
17	onyedi
18	onsekiz
19	ondokuz
20	yirmi
100	yüz
1000	bin

Food:

Apple	Elma
Fruit	Meyve
Banana	Muz
Hungry	Aç
Biscuits	Bisküvi
Meat	Et
Bread	Ekmek
Milk	Süt
Chicken	Tavuk
Salt	Tuz
Coffee	Kahve
Sugar	Şeker
Drink	İçecek
Tea	Çay
Meal	Yemek
Vegetables	Sebze
Egg	Yumurta
Water	Su