A former senior municipal media executive arrested as part of a sweeping investigation into İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) has alleged she was subjected to inhumane treatment in prison, sparking fresh concerns about the treatment of political detainees in Turkey.
Dr İpek Elif Atayman, former general manager of the municipality-affiliated Medya A.Ş., said she was kept in isolation for 72 days, transferred in a one-square-metre armoured cell while handcuffed for over seven hours, and has been forced to sleep on the floor since her arrival at Afyonkarahisar Closed Prison on 5 June.
“I have no access to a bed, my belongings are kept in a rubbish bag, and I’m only allowed a 10-minute visit per week,” she said in a statement from prison. “This is not a trial; it is punishment and violence.”
Atayman was detained on 19 March as part of a wide-ranging investigation that has targeted dozens of İBB employees. The İstanbul Mayor and opposition presidential hopeful Ekrem İmamoğlu denounced her treatment on Wednesday, describing it as “a systematic torture campaign” aimed at his staff.
“This is a torture report,” said İmamoğlu in a public statement posted by his campaign office. “Women are being humiliated, held in filth, shackled in cages during transfers, and isolated far from their families. There is no evidence — only pressure, blackmail, and attempts to force confessions through cruelty.”
Atayman’s transfer — reportedly made without notifying her family or lawyer — has reignited criticism over the Turkish government’s use of long pre-trial detentions and its treatment of high-profile opposition figures and affiliates. She maintains she has no criminal record, no suspicious financial transactions, and that her two-year tenure as media director involved no unlawful activity.
The controversy deepened after it emerged that Atayman was not provided a bed until Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç reportedly learned of her case — and only then was one provided. Yet opposition voices say broader issues persist.
“The conditions of detention, especially for women, reflect a systematic policy of political punishment,” İmamoğlu said. He urged Turkish citizens to speak out against the mistreatment, adding, “The cries of these women will echo over those who remain silent.”
There has been no official government response to Atayman’s allegations.
