Turkey’s prison population continue to surge, operating at 42 percent over capacity

18.12.2025

By Turkish Minute

Source:https://www.turkishminute.com/2025/12/18/turkeys-prison-population-continue-to-surge-operating-at-42-percent-over-capacity/

Turkey’s prison population has climbed to 433,543, exceeding official capacity by 42 percent, the Stockholm Center for Freedom reported, citing data from the Civil Society in the Penal System (CISST), a prisoners’ rights group.

Data as of December 1 show that nearly 5,000 people were added to Turkey’s prison population in a single month, pushing the system far beyond its total capacity of 305,286 in 403 prisons.

The prison population includes 4,666 minors aged 12 to 18 held in juvenile correctional facilities or juvenile sections of adult prisons, as well as 822 children under the age of 6 who are living with their incarcerated mothers, the report said.

Turkey continues to rank first in Europe both in total number of prisoners and inmates per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the Council of Europe’s 2024 Annual Penal Statistics Report, which shows that the country’s prison population rose by 80 percent between 2013 and 2024.

In response to this growth, the Turkish government continues to expand the prison system. Six new prisons are scheduled to open by the end of 2025, followed by nine in 2026, five in 2027 and two in 2028. With these 22 new facilities, the total number of prisons in Turkey will reach 424 by the end of 2028.

Turkey’s governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) also plans to revive a COVID-era early release scheme under the 11th Judicial Package, which could allow 50,000 to 55,000 inmates to serve their sentences under supervised release.

The bill expands an emergency measure first used in 2020, when the government allowed prisoners in low-security facilities to move to supervised release early because of COVID. The government now proposes to extend that option to people who committed crimes before July 31, 2023, but whose convictions were not final before that date. Ruling party officials say the measure would allow these inmates to serve the remainder of their sentences outside prison under supervision.