Guidance

Cyprus north prisoner pack

Updated 26 July 2024

Introduction

Disclaimer

This information was compiled by the Consular Section, British High Commission, Nicosia. It is revised on a regular basis. If any information contained in this pack is incorrect, please draw inaccuracies to our attention so that we can make amendments.

The British High Commission is not accountable for the information provided in this pack. Local proceedings are subject to change at any time.

The self – declared ‘Turkish Republic of northern Cyprus’  is not recognised by the British government and FCDO’s ability to offer consular assistance there is limited.

Who can help?

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO): The FCDO is represented overseas by its Embassies and Consulates (High Commissions in Commonwealth Countries). Both employ Consular Officers, and one of their duties is to provide help and advice to any UK National who gets into difficulty in a foreign country.

About the British High Commission

We are impartial; we are not here to judge. We aim to make sure that UK Nationals in detention are treated properly and fairly in accordance with local regulations, and that they receive the same standard of treatment as other detainees.

We can answer questions about the welfare of UK Nationals in detention and about prison regulations, but detainees must ask their lawyer or the court about legal matters. A list of lawyers is provided by the British High Commission for convenience, but neither His Majesty’s Government, nor any official of the British High Commission, take any responsibility for the competence or probity of any firm/advocate on the list or for the consequence of any legal action initiated or advice given.

We cannot get UK Nationals out of prison, pay fines or stand bail, interfere with local judicial procedures to get them out of prison or secure an earlier trial date, and we cannot investigate a crime.

We have tried to make sure that the information in this pack is accurate and up to date, but the British High Commission cannot accept legal responsibility for any errors or omissions in the information. If in doubt, detainees should contact a lawyer. We hope the information in this pack is helpful.

Who are the Consular Representatives?

Name	Position	Telephone Number
Name	Position	Phone number
Chloe McIntosh	Consul
Nancy Antoniou	Vice Consul	+35722861365
Aynur Yildirimer	Consular Officer	+35722861138
Olgac Devrim	Consular Officer	+35722861236
Omeria Ioannidou	Consular Officer	+35722861234

Contact Information

Consular Section
British High Commission
Alexander Pallis Street
PO Box 21978
1587 Nicosia
Republic of Cyprus

Tel: +357 22861100 (follow the Consular option & emergency option out of hours)
Fax: +357 22861200 (Consular)
Use our contact form: www.gov.uk/contact-consulate-nicosia
Website: www.gov.uk/government/world/cyprus

First steps

Who will know I have been detained?

When a UK National is arrested and detained in north Cyprus the British High Commission is not informed by the police or local authorities. However, family/friends may inform us, or we may learn of the arrest through local media.

What will my family be told?

We can only inform family/friends if the detainee authorises us to do so (there are exceptions in the case of a minor). Providing the detainee has given consent, it will be up to them to decide how much information relating to their case is passed on to family/friends. However, please take into consideration that family/friends could learn about the case via other means, and may contact the British High Commission.

What will the British High Commission do?

Our staff are there to support the detainee and to care for their wellbeing.

As soon as we have been notified of your arrest, we will endeavour contact you as soon as possible, however this is dependent on consent from the local authorities permitting Consular access. You can decline Consular assistance at any time.

We will provide a list of English-speaking lawyers, and basic details about the legal system in the north of Cyprus. We will ask if you would like us to inform anyone of your arrest. If a custodial sentence is imposed, we can provide details about the prison to your family/friends and inform them about how they can transfer money to you.

Would I have a criminal record in the UK?

If someone is arrested for certain serious offences, such as assault, sexual assault or drug-related crimes, our staff must inform the relevant UK authorities. The information about the criminal offence will be sent to the ACRO Criminal Records office in the UK. It is therefore possible that, if convicted, the person may have a criminal record in the UK.

Prison detention conditions/services

Arrival at prison

All custodial sentences, and those remanded for any length of time are served in Nicosia north Central Prison. As soon as you arrive, you will be allocated a living block and given your unique prisoner identification number. With this number you are able to receive letters and visitors, and money can be deposited into your Prison Comforts account. Most prison staff will only speak Turkish. Your block warden will be your first point of contact for most requests e.g., a request to see a Consular Officer from the British High Commission or to see a doctor.

A member of the Consular team of the British High Commission will visit you as soon as possible once we have been notified of your arrival at the prison. It is advisable to ask friends/family to contact us as we do not receive official notification from the police or local authorities.

In criminal cases when a young person is tried, the Court asks for a welfare report to be prepared. According to the law in north Cyprus, the Criminal Court is obliged to consider this report before the punishment. Basic welfare checks are done prior to sentencing in other cases. It is in your interest to divulge any particular circumstances that may have a bearing on your sentencing. It is very difficult to do so post sentencing unless there is a change in circumstances. These issues should also be discussed with your lawyer.

Prior to entering the prison, police may take the detainee to the hospital for a basic medical check, including blood tests for infectious or contagious diseases. If this does not occur, then they will have a check-up with the prison doctor who attends twice per week.

General prison conditions

Nicosia north Central Prison is the only prison in the north of Cyprus. It contains a remand wing, women’s wing, young offenders under 21 years old wing, high security wing, light sentence wing (under two years), heavy sentence wing (more than two years). On arrival you will be placed into a wing which will be in accordance with your sentence and age. Your first contact is the prison guard and then sergeant, officer and Prison Director.

Receiving money

The UK Government does not provide financial assistance to prisoners.

Any money you bring into the prison will be put into your unique Prison Comforts account. You can use it to buy goods from the weekly canteen.

By bank

As of 13.11.2023 Central Prisoner money deposit will be made through the Cooperative Bank.  No money will be received from the families of prisoners through the prison, only TL deposits will be accepted through the bank-to-bank transfer with account given below.  The monthly investment limit is TL50,000.00, investments above will not be accepted and will be closed to use.

Bank Name: Türkiye Vakiflar Bankasi TAO Hazine operasyonlari Müdürlüğü Buyer name: Kibris Türk Kooperatif Merkez Bankasi Ltd. Iban           : TR67 0001 5001 5800 7299 2996 61 (Turkey and Overseas) Wire Transfer (EFT) Description: 3121253 Prisoner name and surname

Buyer name: Merkezi Cezaevi Kantin Hesabi Uban            : CT96120000160000000003121253 (north Cyprus only) Description: Prisoner Name and Surname

By FCDO money transfer

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office operates a service which allows family/friends to pay funds to us in the UK which we will pay out in local currency.

The British High Commission will pay it into your Prison Comforts account once processed, at the earliest opportunity.

There is a fee for this service – see below.

The various ways they can send monies via the FCDO are detailed below. Under the Consular Fees Order of 2013/2014, we are obliged to charge for this service. The fee is dependent on the amount that they wish to transfer as follows:

Amount being sent	Fee
One monthly payment up to £100	Free
Each additional payment or amount of £0.01 - £99.99	£10
Each additional payment or amount of £100 - £499.99	£25
Each additional payment or amount of £500 and above	£50

When forwarding funds, they should add the above fee to the amount that they wish to transfer. If other friends and family also plan to transfer funds in the same month, they should consider coordinating payments, so they know what FCDO fees to expect. We retain the right to further deduct any local overseas charges we may incur in passing the fees to you.

Should we be unable to pay the funds locally to you, our policy is to refund amounts above £5 to the depositor by bank transfer. In this case, we would contact them for their bank details. Refunds may take several weeks as our internal processes can only start once all relevant costs have been cleared with local authorities.

Please note that our office in Milton Keynes is only responsible for payments. All other correspondence should continue to be addressed to the Consular team in Cyprus.

Options to transfer funds to British nationals overseas via the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Please note that we can only advance funds to a person overseas once their payment has cleared in our account.

Electronic bank transfers

Payment by electronic/internet bank transfer can be made either using online or telephone banking, or at your local bank or building society.

For all bank transfers, you will need to include the following details:

Bank:	National Westminster Bank
Account Name:	FCO Multi Vote
Sort code:	60-70-80
Reference:	FCDO Consular case reference number, surname & first name of the receiver, for example: CON-1234567 SMITH JOHN – CYPRUS
IBAN:	GB56NWBK60708010012362
SWIFT/BIC:	NWBKGB2L
Bank address:	London Corporate Service Centre, CPB Services, 2nd Floor, 280 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4RB

By post

Payments by Postal Order, Bankers Draft, Building Society Cheque or personal cheque should be crossed and made payable to “The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office”. Using this payment method, we are unable to receive payment by credit or debit card, or by cash. They should be sent to:

Accounts Receivable
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Corporate Service Centre
PO Box 6108
Milton Keynes
MK10 1PX

We recommend that they use Special Delivery. Please ensure that they include a note briefly explaining who the money is for, why they are sending these funds and quoting the FCDO case reference number. They may wish to use the suggested payment slip wording below:

To: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

FCDO case reference number:

Date:

Please find enclosed funds for:

Full Name:
Country/place the above is in:

Amount enclosed:

Fee to be deducted:

Payment method:

My name is:

My address is:

If they would like a receipt, please include a stamped addressed envelope. Please note that it can take approximately 15 days for personal cheques to clear and for payment to be received. Please write the cheque guarantee number and expiry date, and the FCDO case reference number, on the back of the cheque.

Work and study in prison

Prisoners on remand are generally not given work positions. When sentenced, the prison will give the prisoners time to adjust to their new environment and dependant on how they are getting on will start to give them jobs to do after a while. If they do well and are settled in the prison routine, they will receive more outdoor jobs.

Medical and dental treatment

Medical

Access to prison medical services is via the block warden. The medical officer examines each prisoner upon arrival and thereafter, prisoners can ask to see the doctor during his regular prison visits. The medical centre is available for daily supply of medicine and drugs. The doctor visits twice a week. It is possible to refer cases to a specialist at north Nicosia General Hospital on the approval of the prison medical officer. You will only be allowed to take medicines that have been approved by the prison medical officer. The prison has a special programme for detainees with drug problems.

All payment for medical care whilst in prison is covered by the north Cyprus authorities.

Dental

If you have a dental problem, you initially need to see the prison doctor. If the doctor advises that you need to be seen by a dentist, they will arrange for you to be taken to the state hospital where treatment can be administered.

Food and diet

Prisoners receive 3 meals a day and those prisoners who require a special diet either for medical (diabetes etc) or religious reasons can make their requirements know to the prison authorities. Special medical diets are prescribed by the prison medical authorities.

Prisoners are not allowed to prepare their own foodstuffs either in their place of work or accommodation, to have food items delivered by visitors, to possess food stuffs other than those allowed by the prison authorities or the possession of any alcoholic beverages.

Mail/parcels

Mail: Prisoners can send letters to family/friends twice a week after they have been submitted for checking and receive letters (there is no restriction on the number they can receive). A prison guard, with powers of censorship, reads all letters to and from prisoners and this often causes a delay.

Parcels: Prisoners may receive parcels at the discretion of the prison authorities, these contain clothes, books, letters etc. Fruit and cigarettes can be brought to the prison in person. Posted parcels which contain food, money, toiletries or electrical appliances are not allowed.

Family/friends should contact the prison administration office directly for guidance, quoting your unique prisoner number. Telephone number from UK is +90(392)6123000

It is highly recommended that all correspondence is sent using registered/signed for post.

The contact address of Nicosia north Central Prison is:

[Prisoner’s name and number]
K.K.T.C Yeni Cezaevi
Minarelikoy 99100
Lefkosa.
Tel: +90(392)6123000

Consular staff cannot forward any items, letters or parcels to or from you.

Making telephone calls

There is a phone card system in prison. Phone cards can be purchased at the canteen, and permission to make a call must be sought from the guards. Prisoners cannot receive phone calls from relatives but should a member of your family wish to speak to the prison authorities for any reason, the telephone number from UK is +90(392)6123000.

If there is a good reason, the prisoner may be allowed to speak to family/friends from the Administration Office if they make a call at a specified time by prior arrangement and with the consent of the prison authorities. Phone calls are permitted daily.

Leisure and entertainment

The prison has a large library with over 8000 books and English books are available. The prison runs several workshops.

They have regular work programmes with the local Near East University and students from there come and run activities within the prison, for example theatre performances.

Prisoners can take in their own radios (checked by security) but are not allowed TVs in their cells. In each block there is a recreation room with a TV.

Drugs

If you are caught with any kind of illegal drugs (marijuana, cocaine, etc) you will be punished; accordingly, as a result, you may suffer loss of privileges, have your sentence extended and be placed in confinement for a period determined by the prison disciplinary board.

Tobacco and cigarettes are allowed – but not their trading with other prisoners.

Complaining about mistreatment

Any allegations of mistreatment can be discussed with your Consular Officer however you need to be aware that most Consular visits often take place in the prison managers office with prison staff present (uniformed and non-uniformed).

For this reason, discussions around complaints can be difficult. We will ask you to put your complaint to us in writing at the time of your Consular visit.

Complaining to the police or prison

This complaint should be made to the Ministry of the Interior where the police and prison authorities are connected. Address: Selcuklu Street, north Nicosia 99010.

If someone is not happy with the decision of the Ministry of Interior he can go to the Supreme Court/High Administrative Court, however, this procedure has rarely been used.

In prison and depending on the nature of your complaint, first speak with your block warden to try to resolve the issue - you can also ask to speak with a senior prison officer, the Superintendent for example.

Ombudsman

Any decisions made by the Ombudsman are advisory only and the office cannot automatically overturn a decision. The Ombudsman is obliged to investigate the matter and write an opinion about the issue but cannot overturn a ruling or decision. Address: 2 Celaliye Street, north Nicosia 99010.

Visits

Visits: family and friends

Visits do not need to be pre-arranged. Visitors need to take their passport to the prison on the days specified below. Visits are officially allowed soon after you are in prison. A maximum number of 5 people can visit at any one time. All visits take place behind a glass partition. The only time open visits are allowed is during holidays (Bayrams) and at New Year.

The programmed visits of the prison at present are as follows:-

• prisoners sentenced to more than 2 years: Mon, Thurs, Sat 0830-1145 & 1330-1630
• prisoners sentenced to less than 2 years: Tues, Fri, Sat 0830-1145 & 1330-1630
• prisoners on remand (awaiting trial): Weds, Sat 0830-1145 & 1330-1630
• Sunday visiting for all prisoners: 0830-1145

Number and length of visits

Visits are normally for 30 minutes. Visitation times for those on remand are twice per week however family/friends can attend once in the morning and once in the afternoon on the days specified. Visitation times for those sentenced are three times per week however family/friends can again attend once in the morning and once in the afternoon on the days specified.

Consular visits

A member of the British High Commission Consular team will aim to visit you once notified of your arrival at the prison. This will depend on agreement from local authorities.

We undertake to visit you once during your remand if we are notified and once when you are sentenced. Following this, unless there are special circumstances, we will normally visit you annually.

We will offer to contact your family/friends to inform them of the situation. We can give them advice on prison procedure and regulations and on your physical condition and morale. We can pass on any verbal messages for you.

What can visitors bring?

On the major holidays (Bayrams), when open visits take place, family/friends are allowed to bring in cooked food, for example kebabs.

Basic clothing can be brought in, but prisoners are all provided with a prison uniform. Prisoners provide their own underwear and nightwear. This applies to both remand and convicted prisoners.

There is a canteen in the prison where you can order toiletries and snacks.

The north Cyprus judicial system

The system in north Cyprus is different from the UK. There are two types of offences: major offences and minor offences. Minor offences are dealt with in a local district court and the major offenses are dealt with in the Assizes court in the main towns.

The local district court, where minor cases are heard, is controlled by a single judge. The Assizes court has three judges presiding over each case. The jury system is not employed. The system in Cyprus involves the judges being responsible for carrying out wide ranging enquiries in order to produce a file of evidence on each case. The judge uses this file of evidence as a basis for deciding his verdict. The trial is regarded as the final act in each investigation and the judge is very much in control of proceedings and will ask most of the questions.

What happens when you are arrested

Arrival at the police station

Arrests following an investigation are normally supported by an arrest warrant issued by a judge. If a police officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that a person has committed a serious crime, that person may be arrested without a warrant on the spot.

When you area arrested, you will normally be taken to a police station for questioning. A person taken into custody without a warrant must, within twenty-four hours, be charged with the offence, be released upon certain terms pending the investigation, or be brought before a judge for an extension of their detention whilst additional investigations take place. The latter is the most common procedure.

Length of remand in custody

If the court orders further detention, it must be satisfied that:

• there is a strong suspicion that an offence has been committed and that if released, you would flee
• your conduct suggests that if you were released you might tamper with the evidence, influence witnesses or prejudice the proceedings in some other way
• having been charged with offence or offences against the person, there is reason to believe that you will continue to commit the same offences if you are not remanded in custody

If remanded, the remand order will be for a maximum of eight days, but if the police so request, a judge may extend the period of the remand if he is satisfied that the police reasonably require more time to complete their investigations. You may be remanded either at a police station or sent to the prison whilst further investigations take place.

The police have up to 90 days to bring charges. During this time you may be released on bail and/or conditions. If you cannot meet the bail conditions you will remanded to the prison. Prisoners on remand are kept in a separate area of the prison to convicted criminals.

The police and local authorities in the north do not notify the British High Commission of any arrests therefore we depend on local media and friends/family to inform us. As soon as we have been notified of your arrest we will contact you as soon as possible, however this is dependent on consent from the local authorities permitting Consular access. This may take some time to be granted.

Visits by friends/family, whilst being held at a Police station, are at the discretion of the local authorities.

Legal assistance

You can appoint a lawyer for yourself at any time following your arrest. A list of lawyers is provided by the British High Commission for convenience, but neither the UK Government, nor any official of the British High Commission take any responsibility for the competence or probity of any firm/advocate on the list or for the consequence of any legal action initiated or advice given.

Normally, if you appoint a lawyer, they will ask for an advance of their fee which may be high, before accepting your case.

Legal aid is not available in north Cyprus. In exceptional circumstances, when the Assize Court is hearing a serious criminal case (such as murder, serious sexual assault or similar), the Court may order that the fees of the advocate of the accused will be paid by the north Cyprus authorities however this is exceptionally rare. The case must be extremely serious and the accused must be without means to pay his lawyer.

This rule applied to both locals and foreign nationals.

When you are charged

You should be notified of the charges against you when you are formally charged. A decision will be made whether to release you on bail, or to request your continued detention. Although you may be accused of committing one offence, there may be supplementary charges for example, when more than one person is involved in a crime, there may be additional charges of conspiracy to commit…X offences. Similarly, drugs offences may involve more than one charge i.e., conspiracy, importation, distribution & manufacture.

Criminal investigations are carried out by the police who, especially in difficult or important cases, cooperate with the Attorney General`s Office.

Prosecutions in courts in criminal cases are conducted by or on behalf of the Attorney General and/or by the legal counsel in his office.

The Attorney General has power to enter, in very special circumstances ‘nolle prosequi’ (to be unwilling to pursue) and again in very special circumstances to remit a case to lower courts such as District Judges and/or Senior District Judges. The Attorney General has the right to dispense with the Preliminary Inquiry in very special circumstances.

The court may appoint an interpreter for the defendant when they are being cross examined and consequently the whole trial proceedings are not translated. You can request that you bring with you your own interpreter.

If you are found guilty, a fine or custodial sentence may be imposed by the court, all custodial sentences are served in Nicosia north Central Prison. If you are unable to pay the fine, you are most likely to be ordered by the judge to remain in prison until the fine is paid or relevant custodial sentence served.

If insufficient funds are available in Cyprus, the British High Commission can help by contacting family/friends to advise them how to transfer funds. The British High Commission cannot pay fines for prisoners from public funds.

Bail

Once formally charged, you can be released on bail if the police & prosecution authorities agree. Bail conditions may mean that you have to surrender your passport to the authorities or post a sum of money as guarantee. The amount varies with the offence and personal circumstances. You may be required to report to a local police station to sign on (daily/weekly), or a combination of all of these.

Please note that if your passport is held as part of your bail conditions and you ask us to try to recover it from the authorities so you can travel, this may result in your bail being revoked by those authorities and you being remanded into custody.

If you wish to vary your bail conditions, including asking for the return of your UK passport you will have to approach the court for a variance of the bail conditions. Consular staff cannot become involved in this or ask for favourable bail conditions simply because you are a UK National. The UK Government is also unable to guarantee your bail or pay bail monies. While on bail, you will have to support yourself financially. Again, there is no UK Government financial assistance for this.

Bail orders are set by the judge, and it is essential that you fully understand the bail order and discuss bail agreements with your lawyer prior to them being entered. Even when charged, you may have to wait several months for the case to go to court.

Trial

All proceedings take place in Turkish, with a court translator present to translate when you are in the witness box.

When you first appear at court, the charges will be read out and a decision will be made if there is a case to answer, this is an opportunity to raise the issue of legal aid (although not generally available), or of any mistreatment allegations, for example the judge can order your medical examination, or that you are taken to hospital for treatment/assessment. The next stage is for you to enter a plea against the charges, and once this is done a trial date will be set. In Cyprus, even when the trial is underway, you may attend court for several hearings and there may be several false starts, before a conclusion is reached. At the conclusion of the trial, if you are found guilty, a date for sentencing will be set.

Consular staff do not routinely attend trials.

Sentences

All custodial sentences are served in north Nicosia Central Prison.

Making an appeal

Appeals can be made within ten days of a court decision. Appeals should be made through your lawyer. Bail may be considered before the judgment of the Criminal Court but not after. When a Criminal Court gives a judgement against an accused, the judgement is executed immediately. If there is an imprisonment order, the convicted person will go to prison. He may apply to the Appeal Court for an early hearing date.

In civil cases, the principal judgement of the Lower Courts is also executed immediately. However, the judgement can be stayed on equitable grounds. The appellant may apply either to the Lower Court or Appeal Court to suspend the judgement pending the appeal. Usually, this application is granted if the appellant shows security that the judgement will be upheld after the Appeal Court’s decision.

Reduction of sentences (for example, for good behaviour)

Reductions for good behaviour start after the first six months of a sentence. Prisoners can obtain a maximum of one month reduction within a six-month period for good behaviour, a total of two months per year after the initial six months.

Early release

Parole hearings are heard in the prison, this is an opportunity for your lawyer to put forward your case for parole.

Any requests for information concerning parole must be addressed to your lawyer and the prison authorities and not the British High Commission.

Clemency and pardon

According to the north authorities, the Legislative Assembly may decide for an amnesty. The amnesty can be for specific people or a general group, but it is a very rarely a used procedure.

Financial penalties

If you are unable to pay a fine, you are most likely to be ordered by the judge to remain in prison until the fine is paid or relevant custodial sentence served. If insufficient funds are available in Cyprus, the British High Commission can help by contacting family/friends advise them how to transfer funds. The British High Commission cannot pay fines for prisoners from public funds.

Transfer to another prison within the Republic of Cyprus

North Nicosia Central Prison is the only prison in the north of Cyprus.

Transfer to a UK prison

There is currently no arrangement for prison transfers to the UK.

Release and deportation

The British High Commission is not advised when a prisoner is released. Dependent on the crime committed, the residency status of the prisoner and the court, you may be deported either via Turkey to the UK or to the Republic of Cyprus.

Prisoners Abroad

Since 1978 the charity Prisoners Abroad has offered practical support and advice to UK Nationals imprisoned overseas. It is the only UK charity providing this service and it is available to all, whether guilty or innocent, convicted or on remand. Prisoners Abroad is concerned with your health and welfare, both during your imprisonment and also on your return to the UK, through their resettlement service (if you have registered whilst in prison).

They can also provide support and advice to your family. In order to access their services, you must first register with Prisoners Abroad by signing and returning their authorisation form.

Once you seek help from Prisoners Abroad, the Prisoner & Family Support Service will be your point of contact for advice and information. The type of assistance they can offer will vary from country to country, but generally they can provide you with information, in English, on:

• your rights as a prisoner and issues that may affect you such as health or transfer to the UK

• obtaining magazines, newspapers, books and the regular Prisoners Abroad newsletter

• writing to a pen pal

• learning the language of your country of imprisonment

• translation of documents

• grants for food if you are in a developing country and don’t have funds from other sources

• grants for essential medicines and toiletries if you don’t have funds from other sources

• preparing for release

• help for your loved ones, including information, family support groups and assistance with the cost of visiting

Prisoners Abroad
89 – 93 Fonthill Road
London N4 3JH
UK

Telephone: 00 44 (0)20 7561 6820 or, for your relatives in the UK, Freephone 0808 172 0098 (Monday to Friday between 09:30 am and 4:30 pm, UK time)

Email: info@prisonersabroad.org.uk
Website: www.prisonersabroad.org.uk

Additional information

Fair Trials International (FTI)

5 Castle Road
London NW1 8PR

Tel: +44 (0) 207 822 2370
Fax: +44 (0) 207 822 2371
E-mail: office@fairtrials.net
Website: www.fairtrials.org

FTI is a charity which works for the rights of those facing criminal charges in a country other than their own. They have an information booklet “Arrested in Another Country?” which answers questions people frequently ask when they are arrested overseas. You can obtain a copy of the leaflet from FTI at the above address. Copies are also available for downloading from FTI’s website. If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy of the leaflet, please let us know.

Useful links

www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-british-nationals-abroad-a-guide
www.gov.uk/help-if-you-are-arrested-abroad/y/cyprus
www.gov.uk/government/publications/arrest-or-detention
List of local lawyers
www.gov.uk/government/collections/lists-of-translators-and-interpreters
www.gov.uk/government/publications/in-prison-abroad

Key phrases – English into 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 are pronounced differently.

Alphabet :

A,a	=	a	as in ‘u’gly
B,b	=	be	as in ‘be’ll
C,c	=	ce	as in ‘je’alous
Ç,ç	=	çe	as in ‘chai’r
D,d	=	de	as in ‘de’cade
E,e	=	e	as in ‘e’lephant
F,f	=	fe	as in ‘f’ederal
G,g	=	ge	as in ‘ge’t
Ğ,ğ	=	ğe	There are no words that begins with the letter ‘Ğ’ in Turkish.
H,h	=	he	as in ‘h’elicopter
I,ı	=	I	as in numb’e’r
J,j	=	je	as in gara’g’e
K,k	=	ke	as in ‘k’ettle
L,l	=	le	as in ‘le’g
M,m	=	me	as in ‘m’en
N,n	=	ne	as in ‘ne’ver
O,o	=	o	as in ‘o’rchestra
Ö,ö	=	ö	as in ‘u’rge
P,p	=	pe	as in ‘p’en
R,r	=	re	as in ‘r’ed
S,s	=	se	as in ‘se’ll
Ş,ş	=	şe	as in ‘sh’elf
T,t	=	te	as in ‘te’lephone
U,u	=	u	as in ‘oo’ps !
Ü,ü	=	ü	as in fr’u’it, n’u’de
V,v	=	ve	as in ‘ve’getable
Y,y	=	ye	as in ‘ye’s
Z,z	=	ze	as in ‘ze’bra

English	Turkish	English	Turkish
1	Bir	Apple	Elma
2	İki	Banana	Muz
3	Üç	Biscuits	Bisküvi
4	Dört	Bread	Ekmek
5	Beş	Chicken	Tavuk
6	Altı	Coffee	Kahve
7	Yedi	Drink	İçecek
8	Sekiz	Meal	Yemek
9	Dokuz	Egg	Yumurta
10	On	Fruit	Meyve
11	Onbir	Hungry	Aç
12	Oniki	Meat	Et
13	Onüç	Milk	Süt
14	Ondört	Rice	Pirinç
15	Onbeş	Salt	Tuz
16	Onaltı	Sugar	Şeker
17	Onyedi	Vegetables	Sebze
18	Onsekiz	Water	Su
19	Ondokuz	January	Ocak
20	Yirmi	February	Şubat
30	Otuz	March	Mart
40	Kırk	April	Nisan
50	Elli	May	Mayıs
60	Altmış	June	Haziran
70	Yetmiş	July	Temmuz
80	Seksen	August	Ağustos
90	Doksan	September	Eylül
100	Yüz	October	Ekim
1000	Bin	November	Kasım
Lawyer	Avukat	December	Aralık
Court	Mahkeme	Sunday	Pazar
Hearing	Duruşma	Monday	Pazartesi
Prison	Cezaevi	Tuesday	Salı
Verdict	Karar	Wednesday	Çarşamba
Today	Bugün	Thursday	Perşembe
Tomorrow	Yarın	Friday	Cuma
Yesterday	Dün	Saturday	Cumartesi
Spring	İlkbahar	Autumn	Sonbahar
Summer	Yaz	Winter	Kış