Turkish jails filled beyond normal capacity with children, say right groups

Mahmud Mohamadi

Dozens of people demonstrated on September 22 in New York against what they described as the “crimes” committed by the regime of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against thousands of Turkish citizens.

The demonstrators referred to the presence of thousands of children in jails across Turkey.

There are around 864 children in the jails in Turkey, according to several rights groups participating in the protest.

They added that some of these children are disabled or with medical conditions that need continual medical care.

Turkish authorities also refuse to release the mothers of these children or try them away from the jails, they added.

“Pregnant women and children suffer tremendous psychological pains because of their arbitrary imprisonment,” the groups said in a joint statement. “This is causing destruction to thousands of families.”

The same groups asked the Turkish government to immediately set these pregnant women, mothers and children free. They also called for the release of Turkish citizens thrown in the jails because they expressed their views.

Meanwhile, think tan Nesemat for Society and Civilization Studies said in May 2018, there were 705 children in Turkish jails.

Citing a report by the Turkish Prison Authority, Nesemat added that in August 2018, there were 864 children below the age of 6 in the jails.

It said these children and their mothers landed in jail following an all-out crackdown by Turkish authorities on those affiliated to Hizment Movement. Nesemat noted that the 864 in jails include 149 suckling babies.

The Turkish government accuses Hizment of masterminding the July 2016 coup attempt on Erdogan. However, the movement denies this charge and asks Turkish authorities to submit proof of their allegations.

Suffering

The report released by Nesemat elaborates on the suffering of mothers in Turkish jails. It throws light on the stories of some of the women inmates and their children as well as on the suffering the parents of children born outside Turkey experience as they try to issue identification papers for their children.

Most of these parents are also accused of being affiliated with Hizment.

The report accuses the Turkish government of violating international conventions on the rights of the children. It reveals that the Turkish government denies Turkish children born outside Turkey of consular services since the presumed July 2016 coup attempt.