Turkey’s Prison Administrative and Observation Boards (PAOBs) are increasingly under scrutiny for their role in delaying the release of prisoners, particularly those who are seriously ill, by using arbitrary and non-legal justifications. This issue has gained renewed attention following a series of cases where prisoners, some of whom have served decades in prison, have had their releases blocked despite severe health conditions.
Turkey’s PAOBs are responsible for evaluating prisoners’ behaviour and determining their eligibility for conditional release or other privileges. These boards, composed of prison officials and sometimes other authorities, assess factors such as a prisoner’s conduct, remorse, and compliance with prison rules. However, the process is often criticised for being opaque and arbitrary, with decisions sometimes based on subjective criteria rather than legal standards. This can lead to inconsistent outcomes, where prisoners—particularly political prisoners or those with serious health conditions—face extended incarceration despite completing their sentences or being eligible for release. Critics argue that these boards effectively act as quasi-judicial bodies, imposing additional punishments without proper legal oversight.
One of the most prominent cases is that of İlhan Sami Çomak, a poet who has spent 30 years in prison. Just hours before his expected release, Çomak’s freedom was denied due to an arbitrary decision by the PAOB, which cited vague reasons related to his behaviour during imprisonment. This case has brought to light the increasing use of non-transparent and punitive measures by these boards to prolong the incarceration of political prisoners.
Cengiz Eker, who has served 30 years of a life sentence, also faces indefinite incarceration despite completing his sentence in September 2023. Eker, who suffers from heart failure, lung conditions and other serious health issues, has had his release delayed twice on the grounds of “poor behaviour,” a decision made without even presenting him before the PAOB.
Another troubling case is that of Ataş Göbe, who, after serving 30 years, was denied release for three months due to his refusal to express “remorse,” a condition imposed by the PAOB. Despite suffering from multiple health issues, including blocked arteries and asthma, Göbe remains in prison, reflecting the broader issue of unequal treatment of political prisoners in Turkey.
The issue is further compounded by the fact that, beyond the arbitrary decisions of the POABs, there is a broader and equally troubling pattern of the Turkish authorities refusing to release severely ill and elderly Kurdish political prisoners, even when medical reports clearly indicate that continued incarceration poses a significant risk to their lives.
The case of Abdulkadir Kuday further exemplifies the dire situation. Diagnosed with ALS and deemed unfit to remain in prison by two separate medical reports, Kuday was recently hospitalised after his condition worsened. Yet, his release has been repeatedly denied, with authorities citing public safety concerns, effectively leaving him to die in prison.
Ergin Aktaş is another severely ill Kurdish political prisoner who remains incarcerated despite overwhelming medical evidence that he cannot survive in prison conditions. Both of Aktaş’s hands were amputated at the wrists, and he suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and tuberculosis. Since 2013, the Forensic Medicine Institute has issued six separate reports declaring him unfit to remain in prison. However, his release has been continuously blocked due to a security report labeling him as “dangerous,” which authorities use to justify his ongoing detention under the provisions of the Penal Execution Law. Aktaş’s health continues to deteriorate, and with the recent release of a fellow inmate who used to assist him, his situation has become even more precarious.
Another case is that of Muharrem Cankılıç, a prisoner with chronic heart disease who has suffered four heart attacks. Despite doctors warning that another heart attack could be fatal, Cankılıç remains imprisoned. His appeals for release, supported by medical reports, have been denied, leaving him in a situation where adequate medical treatment is impossible within prison.
Similarly, Fadime Çelebi, who suffers from high blood pressure, chronic sinusitis, and complications from a brain clot, has seen her health rapidly deteriorate while imprisoned at Edirne L-Type Prison. Despite requiring urgent medical examinations and frequent hospital visits, her requests for appropriate medical care and transfer to a closer prison have been ignored.
The release of influencer Dilan Polat (34), imprisoned for serious crimes including money laundering, after just nine months, has starkly highlighted the double standards in the treatment of prisoners. While Polat was freed, severely ill and elderly prisoners like 82-year-old Makbule Özer and 76-year-old Hanife Arslan remain incarcerated under harsh conditions, underscoring the selective application of justice based on who the individual is rather than the nature of the crime.
The plight of Kurdish political prisoners has reached the Turkish Parliament, where pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Group Deputy Chairs Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit and Sezai Temelli have formally questioned the Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç about the ongoing human rights violations.
