Arrested or in prison in Turkey
This guide provides information about being arrested in Turkey and what conditions are like in prison there.
Contacting the British embassy or consulate
The British embassy or consulate in Turkey can offer help but will not be able to get you out of prison or get you special treatment because you’re British. Find out what help the embassy or consulate can offer.
Şehit Ersan Caddesi 46/A
Çankaya, Ankara
Telephone: +90 312 455 33 44
Meşrutiyet Caddesi No 42
Tepebaşı Beyoglu
34435 Istanbul
Telephone: +90 212 334 64 00
Mahmut Esat Bozkurt Caddesi, No.49
Alsancak
35220 Izmir
Telephone: +90 232 463 51 51
Gursu Mahallesi
324 Sokak, No: 6
Konyaaltı, Antalya
Telephone: +90 242 228 28 11
Marmaris
Muğla
Telephone: +90 252 412 64 88
Ataturk Caddesi Likya İş Merkezi Kat: 2 No 20248300
Fethiye, Muğla
Telephone: +90 252 614 63 02
Bodrum
Muğla
Telephone: +90 252 412 64 88
Finding a lawyer and translator
Find a lawyer in Turkey
You should carefully consider getting a local Turkish lawyer. Discuss all costs with them in advance.
Prisoners Abroad has information on appointing a lawyer and legal aid (not specific to Turkey).
Private lawyers
Check the list of local English-speaking lawyers if you want to appoint your own private lawyer. Ask the British embassy or consulate if you need a paper copy.
Lawyers in Turkey ask for a down payment in advance before taking on your case. You might be able to agree to a set fee for the whole case before they begin work so that you do not find yourself facing ‘extra expenses’.
Court-appointed lawyers
The court must appoint a lawyer for you if you cannot afford to hire one yourself. They may only represent you at your first hearing – ask them what services they can provide. Court-appointed lawyers are free, but will rarely speak English.
Find a translator or interpreter in Turkey
You may need a translator to help you read Turkish documents about your case.
Do not sign any documents unless you understand them.
If you have to go to court it will appoint and pay for an interpreter to help the judge speak to you. No court proceedings can go ahead without the court-appointed interpreter. You might need your own interpreter to help you communicate with your lawyer, or to help you understand what’s going on in court.
Search for an English-speaking translator or interpreter in Turkey.
What happens when you’re arrested in Turkey
If you’re arrested in Turkey you’ll be taken to a local police station. You will make a police statement and be interviewed by the police. This will be recorded and you and your lawyer can ask to access it later.
You will normally stay in a police cell for a day or two before being taken to court. Here the judge will decide if you will be prosecuted or not.
The police must tell you in English (using an interpreter if necessary):
- why you’ve been arrested
- that initial proceedings against you have started
- your rights
Your lawyer can visit you at the police station, but relatives, friends and consular staff are not normally allowed to visit.
At the police station you will probably share a cell with several other people. Food is given at regular mealtimes but may not be provided if you are detained overnight.
The police should take you to a hospital for a medical examination.
Your rights
In Turkey you have the right to:
- a lawyer - you can see them before any police interviews and while you’re being interviewed or making a police statement
- an interpreter - this must be provided free of charge but can take around 4 to 8 hours to arrange
- remain silent - you do not have to make a statement to the police if you do not want to
- ask for the collection of evidence to support your innocence
- make a phone call to contact someone about your situation
How long you can be held for
Adults can normally only be held in police cells for up to 24 hours. After this you must either appear before a judge in court or be released.
Up to 12 hours can be added to this to cover the time to take you from the police station to the nearest court.
For serious crimes you can be held for up to 48 hours and for mass crimes and terrorism the limit is 4 days. In very complicated terrorism cases this period can be extended.
Personal belongings
Your personal belongings, including your passport, other ID and mobile phones, will be held by the police. You will get a receipt for these. They will be taken with you to court and, if you’re released by the judge, will be returned to you - unless they’re kept as evidence for the court’s investigations.
Going to court
When you’re first taken to court you’ll be told about the charge brought against you. You will then give a pre-hearing statement to the prosecutor. Depending on the evidence, the judge will then decide to release you or go ahead and prosecute you.
Being put on remand
If you’re charged, you’ll be taken to prison on remand to wait for your court hearing. This hearing is normally around 3 to 6 months later.
There are no differences between prisoners on remand and those that have been already sentenced. They’re normally kept in the same prisons and the same cells. Remand prisoners have the same rights and conditions as sentenced prisoners and the same access to lawyers, visitors and phone calls.
Bail
Foreigners are rarely allowed bail but if you have a valid Turkish residence permit or are married to a Turkish national it might be granted, depending on the charge.
If you’re allowed bail you might get a travel ban and your passport may be kept by the Turkish authorities. Other bail restrictions depend on the situation.
The embassy or consulate cannot transfer bail funds for you or have travel bans removed.
Arriving at prison
You’ll be put in a temporary cell when you first arrive in prison. You’ll be searched and have your personal details taken and get general information about prison rules in English.
If you’re dual nationality and register with the prison with your other nationality the British embassy or consulate may not be able to automatically visit you in prison or get information about you. Tell the prison if you are dual nationality and want to contact the British embassy or consulate.
Within a few days the prison will move you to a permanent cell.
Your next-of-kin will not automatically be told you’re in prison.
Personal belongings
You must declare and hand over all:
- money
- jewellery
- other valuables
- medicine
- toiletries
They will be put in the belongings office (‘emanet’ in Turkish) until you are released or transferred to another prison. You’ll get a receipt for them.
You can keep and use your own clothes but there is a limit to how much you’re allowed in your cell. The rest of them will be kept in the belongings office and can be swapped when needed.
Your prison cell
The number of prisoners in a cell depends on its size and the overall numbers in that prison. Large prisons can have dormitories of up to 28 people split into 7 rooms. Overcrowding can be a problem. It sometimes means prisoners need to be moved to a different prison.
Sentenced and remand prisoners stay in the same cells. Women and men are held in separate prisons.
Medical check-up
You’ll be interviewed by a doctor and social worker. You must declare any medication you have, and the doctor will decide if you can keep it or if it has to be held by the prison. They may prescribe new or equivalent medication if necessary.
Tell the doctor about any on-going medical conditions you have. Contact the British embassy or consulate if you need help telling the prison about your medical needs or getting your medical or dental notes from the UK.
You’ll also be seen by the prison psychologist. If you have a drug addiction you’ll be monitored by the psychologist to ensure recovery.
Visits from family or friends
Only the following close family are automatically allowed to visit you in Turkish prison:
- parents
- children
- spouses
- siblings
- aunts and uncles
- nieces and nephews
You can also fill out a ‘friend form’ to ask for up to 3 other people to be allowed to visit. You must do this within 60 days of being detained. The form has to be approved by the Turkish authorities before the people on it are allowed to visit.
Ask your lawyer or the prison about the exact rules.
How many visits you’re allowed
You’re allowed 1 visit of between 40 and 60 minutes a week up to a total of 4 a month, 3 of these can be closed and 1 open.
Closed visits are where the prisoner and visitor sit either side of a glass window and speak to each other on the phone. Open visits are where the prisoner and visitor sit at opposite sides of a table.
Arranging visits
Visitors first need:
- a photocopy of their passport
- 2 passport-sized photos of themselves
- a petition letter to the public prosecutor
- a document showing the relationship between the prisoner and visitor - issued by the British embassy or consulate
Visitors should book an appointment with the British embassy or consulate to get the documents they need. Once they have them they can make visit applications directly to the public prosecutor on the day they want to visit. There will be set visitor days for the dormitory the prisoner is in.
Speak to your lawyer or the prison if you need more details about arranging visits and which kind of visits need permission in advance.
During the visit
Visitors must show their passport and their visit permission when they arrive at the prison. These are kept by the prison and the passport returned when the visit is finished.
Visitors will be searched before entering the prison. In recently-built prisons visitors will often have retina scans when they enter and exit secure areas.
Visits normally last between 30 and 90 minutes depending on the physical conditions and capacity of the prison. Visits normally take place as planned. Guards are present during visits.
What visitors can take with them
Only clothes and books can normally be brought to prisoners, although some prisons only allow clothes.
Prisoners are not allowed any green, blue or khaki-coloured clothes.
All bags and parcels will be searched before entry. The prison can refuse anything to be given to the prisoner if they think it’s unacceptable.
Visits from consular staff
Consular staff can visit you every 6 to 12 months. You will be called to the prison’s ‘lawyers’ rooms during a consular visit. If there are any mistreatment, welfare or medical issues consular staff may make urgent visits between regular ones. Prisoners can ask the prison authorities to send faxes to the British embassy or consulate.
Money
The British embassy or consulate does not provide financial assistance to prisoners.
Money transfers from family or friends
Some Turkish prisons let prisoners receive international money transfers from friends or family but others do not. Ask the prison or British embassy or consulate to find out.
You cannot have cash sent to you in the post.
Prison accounts
When you arrive at prison you will be given a prison money account you can deposit your money in. You can use the money you or your family put in this to spend at the prison shop (‘kantin’).
How to make a complaint about mistreatment
Incidents of harassment, threats or violence against you are rare in Turkish prisons. If you have been mistreated either in prison, on arrest or whilst detained:
- try to see a doctor
- get a medical report
The British embassy or consulate can help if you have been mistreated or abused and will take all complaints seriously. If you decide to make a complaint it will ask your permission before taking any action.
You can also contact the relevant public prosecutor or the prison manager directly.
Your investigation and trial in Turkey
The Turkish justice system is very bureaucratic. It usually takes between 3 to 6 months for cases to be brought to trial but it can be longer. Turkish courts are very busy and some trials can take several years before a final decision is made.
There are no juries in Turkish trials. Consular staff do not usually attend the hearings.
The embassy or consulate cannot interfere with the Turkish judicial system. It cannot ask for your case to be judged more quickly just because you’re British, or ask the authorities to waive any penalties.
Choice of court
The type of court your case will be heard in normally depends on how serious the alleged offences are:
- the Criminal Peace Court (Sulh Ceza) - for minor offences
- the Criminal Court of First Instance (Asliye Ceza) - for more serious offences that can carry a prison sentence of 10 years or less
- the High Criminal Court (Ağır Ceza) - the highest court in Turkey, for the most serious offences and those that carry a prison sentence of more than 10 years or life
The trial
Your trial will be held in Turkish. The court will appoint and pay for an interpreter. No court proceedings can go ahead without the court-appointed interpreter. Consular staff cannot act as interpreters.
Trials are heard by 1 to 3 judges, depending on the crime, alongside the court clerk, prosecutor, lawyer, accused and the interpreter. All must be present or the hearing will be rescheduled.
At the trial, witnesses, the prosecution and defence can:
- put forward their own claims and defences
- respond to the other party’s claims and defences
- question witnesses
After all the evidence is examined and the judge or judges have heard the case, the defendant will be given a last word.
The judge or judges will then consider or discuss the case and come to a verdict. When there are 3 judges the decision can be made by a majority vote.
The sentence will be given at a separate hearing. In some parts of Turkey foreign prisoners are transferred to a different prison after sentencing.
Making an appeal
Your lawyer can appeal against the final decision within 7 working days. It will then be reviewed by the district appeal court. It can then go to the Supreme Court in the Turkish capital Ankara.
The appeals process is very slow and can lead to long delays in finalising the sentence.
Any appeals must be finished before a prisoner can apply for prison transfer to the UK. Prisoners have a right to withdraw the appeal if they want, or to waive the right to an appeal.
Prison conditions in Turkey
Prison conditions in Turkey can be very different depending on the size and age of the building, what part of the country it’s in and if it’s an open or closed prison. All prisons normally have a library, medical centre, open-air break areas and art and craft courses.
Closed prisons are guarded and do not let prisoners leave the prison. In open prisons, prisoners can leave the prison at certain times, for example weekends or holidays, or to work in certain jobs or attend training. They also have unrestricted access to telephones.
Letters and packages
Friends or family can send mail and parcels directly to the prison from abroad. It can sometimes take a long time to receive them, however. Turkish prisons only accept letters or parcels sent by the official Turkish postal service (PTT). Anything sent by private courier companies are not accepted.
Some parcels may have customs duty put on them. Although a notification should be sent to the prison, prisoners cannot go to the postal depot to pay the duty and collect the parcel from the postal depot. Unless a friend or relative collects the parcel it will normally be sent back to the UK after 30 days of arriving in Turkey.
Stamps and stationary
Stamps and stationary can be bought from the prison shop. Stamps cannot be sent to prisoners in the post.
Checks on your mail
All letters are opened and checked by prison staff before they are given to prisoners.
Telephone calls
You can normally use the telephone once a week - the day and times will be set for you by the prison. You’re only allowed to call the following close family:
- parents
- children
- spouses
- siblings
- aunts and uncles
- nieces and nephews
Phone numbers of relatives you want to call must be registered with the prison.
Calls are limited to 10 minutes each. Domestic and international calls are both allowed. Telephone cards are sold at the prison shop.
Video calls
A weekly 30-minute video call with close family is available at some prisons. Where these are available eligible prisoners can have more and longer video calls if they have not used their weekly visit allowance. Ask the prison if video calls are available and how they work.
Medical and dental treatment
Your basic medical needs must be met while you’re in prison. Basic medical attention and medication is free of charge.
All prisons have at least a basic infirmary, while larger prisons have bigger medical centres where basic treatment can be given, for example:
- dental treatment
- daily examinations
- vaccinations
- urgent dental care
- examinations of new prisoners
All state hospitals in Turkey also have a special ward for prisoners where specialist treatment can be given.
Most prisons have a dentist, if not the prisoner is referred to the nearest state dental clinic. Basic extractions and fillings may be done free of charge, but if the prisoner needs more complicated dental treatment they may need to pay.
Treatment for a new illness or condition
If you want an appointment with the prison doctor or dentist you must fill in a request form and give it to the prison warden.
How soon you will be seen depends on how urgent the issue is and how busy the prison doctor is. For urgent cases it should be the same day, in other cases it could take 2-3 days at least.
It’s unlikely that you will be treated by an English-speaking doctor.
Existing conditions
Tell the doctor about any on-going medical conditions you have. Contact the British embassy or consulate if you need help telling the prison about your medical needs or getting your medical or dental notes from the UK.
Drug and alcohol addiction
When you first arrive, you’ll be seen by the prison psychologist. If you have a drug addiction you’ll be monitored by the psychologist to ensure recovery.
Drug trafficking between prisoners is widespread. Prisoners caught with any kind of illegal substances can be punished harshly.
Mental health care
Prisoners with severe mental health needs may be sent to a psychiatric hospital. Some prisons have their own psychiatric centres and are close to psychiatric hospitals. Less serious mental health issues may be treated by medication within the prison.
Emergency trips outside prison
You can apply for an emergency trip outside prison if an urgent matter comes up that cannot be postponed, like a funeral or critical illness of a relative. This must be authorised by the prison and chief public prosecutor - ask the prison for the right request form.
Food and diet
Prison food is free but very basic. Prisons supply 3 meals a day, are typically Turkish cuisine and provide all basic nutritional needs.
You can access tap water. You can buy extra items like tea, coffee, sugar, fruit, bottled water and sweets from the prison shop (‘kantin’).
Special diets
Special diets for health reasons may be available in some prisons but not for specific religious or lifestyle requirements.
Prison shop
The prison shop (‘kantin’) usually has a wide range of items prisoners can buy with the money in their prison account, for example:
- biscuits, chocolate and soft drinks
- cigarettes
- telephone cards
- stamps and stationary
- toiletries
- extra bedding
- underwear and clothes
Not all items will always be available, however.
Showers and hygiene
Showers and toilets are mostly shared with other prisoners. Hot water is available on designated days and hours. Prisoners need to buy their own toiletries from the prison shop.
Laundry facilities are available but basic. Prisoners are responsible for cleaning their cell.
Work and study
There’s work organised in closed prisons in Turkey, but unless you’re fluent in Turkish this may not be available to you.
Prison work is paid, and working days are up to 7.5 hours with a maximum of 45 hours a week.
All prisoners in open prison, unless they have a doctor’s exemption, have to work in jobs like woodwork, ceramics, weaving or agriculture. Salaries are given to and social service payments are made for open prisoners, and they also receive days off.
Books, languages and activities
If you’re placed in a ward you may socialise with other prisoners. Although there will be prisoners of different nationalities it is not always possible to be with English-speaking prisoners.
Most of the guards will not speak English.
You may order a Turkish/English dictionary to help you communicate with guards and other prisoners.
Prisons have libraries but may not have any books in English. If your prison accepts books the embassy or consulate will try to provide you some from donations.
You can order English language books from outside but they can be very expensive in Turkey and not widely available.
Prisoners Abroad might be able to send some reading material, language textbooks and dictionaries.
Courses and activities
Various workshops and courses are available although the waiting list is usually long. They’re all in Turkish and there is no interpretation.
You cannot arrange postal studies in Turkish prisons.
Exercise
Prisoners are given at least 1 hour a day to walk or exercise in the prison yard. Different prisons offer different leisure activities.
Clothing
Prisoners must provide their own clothing. You cannot wear blue, green or khaki-coloured clothes. The weather varies depending on where the prison is.
Religion
Prisoners can attend religion and ethics lessons, religious conferences and seminars. Muslim imams and religion and ethics teachers give classes up to 24 hours a week.
If you’re not a Muslim, you can meet with an authorised representative of your religion for religious and moral support, and receive religious books from them.
Mobile phones
Prisoners are not allowed mobile phones.
Transferring to another prison
Transfer to a prison in the UK
You can apply to transfer to a UK prison. The Turkish and British authorities both have to agree to it.
You must:
- be a British citizen or have close family ties with the UK (normally through permanent residence in the UK)
- not be awaiting trial - you must have been sentenced with a final verdict made
- have exhausted all appeals against your conviction or length of your sentence or have given up your right to an appeal
- have at least 6 months of your sentence left to serve
- have no outstanding fines or other non-custodial penalties
The offence you were convicted for must also be a criminal offence in the part of the UK you want to be transferred to: England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
To apply you must submit a written petition for transfer (translated into Turkish) to the prison authorities. The British embassy or consulate will help with this.
The Turkish authorities may refuse your request. The UK authorities may also refuse the transfer, for example if you have not lived in the UK for some time or have no close family there.
Transfer to another prison in Turkey
You can only be transferred to another prison in Turkey when there are exceptional compassionate, medical or administrative reasons. Not all prisons accept foreign prisoners.
You should write a petition letter to the prison governor if you want to transfer to another prison in Turkey. Contact the British embassy or consulate if you need advice.
Early release
Depending on the charge, after either a half, two thirds or three quarters of a sentence is completed your case will be assessed. You may then either be transferred to an open prison or released on parole.
Reduction of sentence (remission)
The judge can also decide to make deductions from the sentence for good behaviour (remission).
Clemency or pardon
Clemency is not considered in Turkey. General pardons sometimes happen but depend on the political situation in Turkey. Crimes seen as affecting the core values of society like rape, child abuse or serial murder are never considered for pardon.
Paying a fine instead of detention
If a fine was part of your sentence, this should be paid before release. Otherwise you will have to serve extra days instead of paying off the fine. The amount of the fine that can be reduced by each extra days served will be decided by the judge at sentencing - ask your lawyer for more information.
Release and deportation
Deportation
When you’re released from prison the police will take you to the nearest secure deportation centre and you will be deported as soon as possible. In most cases the Turkish authorities will tell the British embassy or consulate you’re being deported. You can contact the British embassy or consulate if you need help when you’re released.
If you have Turkish residency you will still normally be deported.
Flights to the UK
You or a friend or relative will need to buy your flight to the UK. Speak to the prison authorities to make sure it fits in with your deportation schedule. In special cases where a prisoner has no means to get their own flight the ticket might be provided by the Turkish authorities.
Getting a passport
Make sure your British passport is still in date. Contact the British embassy or consulate before you’re released if you need an emergency passport for your journey home.
Useful Turkish words and phrases
Useful legal terms
| Lawyer | Avukat |
| Court | Mahkeme |
| Hearing | Duruşma |
| Law | Kanun |
| Prison | Cezaevi |
| Verdict | Karar |
Key differences between English and 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’re pronounced differently.
Alphabet
| A,a | a | as in apple |
| M,m | me | as in men |
| B,b | be | as in bell |
| N,n | ne | as in never |
| C,c | ce | as in jet |
| O,o | o | as in orchestra |
| Ç,ç | çe | as in chair |
| Ö,ö | ö | as in urge |
| D,d | de | as in decade |
| P,p | pe | as in pen |
| E,e | e | as in elephant |
| R,r | re | as in red |
| F,f | fe | as in fox |
| S,s | se | as in sell |
| G,g | ge | as in get |
| Ş,ş | şe | as in shelf |
| Ğ,ğ | ğe | Ğ does not occur at the beginning of a word. It is a silent letter and lengthens the letter that proceeds it |
| T,t | te | as in telephone |
| H,h | he | as in helicopter |
| U,u | u | as in zoo |
| I,ı | I | as in number |
| Ü,ü | ü | as in tube |
| İ | i | as in it |
| V,v | ve | as in vegetable |
| J,j | je | as in jump |
| Y,y | ye | as in yes |
| K,k | ke | as in kettle |
| Z,z | ze | as in zebra |
| L,l | le | as in leg |
Months
| January | Ocak |
| February | Şubat |
| March | Mart |
| April | Nisan |
| June | Haziran |
| July | Temmuz |
| August | Ağustos |
| September | Eylül |
| October | Ekim |
| November | Kasım |
| December | Aralık |
Seasons
| Spring | İlkbahar |
| Summer | Yaz |
| Autumn | Sonbahar |
| Winter | Kış |
Days
| Monday | Pazartesi |
| Tuesday | Salı |
| Wednesday | Çarşamba |
| Thursday | Perşembe |
| Friday | Cuma |
| Saturday | Cumartesi |
| Sunday | Pazar |
Numbers
| 1 | bir |
| 2 | iki |
| 3 | üç |
| 4 | dört |
| 5 | beş |
| 6 | altı |
| 7 | yedi |
| 8 | sekiz |
| 9 | dokuz |
| 10 | on |
| 11 | onbir |
| 12 | oniki |
| 13 | onüç |
| 14 | ondört |
| 15 | onbeş |
| 16 | onaltı |
| 17 | onyedi |
| 18 | onsekiz |
| 19 | ondokuz |
| 20 | yirmi |
| 100 | yüz |
| 1000 | bin |
Food:
| Apple | Elma |
| Fruit | Meyve |
| Banana | Muz |
| Hungry | Aç |
| Biscuits | Bisküvi |
| Meat | Et |
| Bread | Ekmek |
| Milk | Süt |
| Chicken | Tavuk |
| Salt | Tuz |
| Coffee | Kahve |
| Sugar | Şeker |
| Drink | İçecek |
| Tea | Çay |
| Meal | Yemek |
| Vegetables | Sebze |
| Egg | Yumurta |
| Water | Su |
Updates to this page
Published 15 March 2013Last updated 19 August 2024 + show all updates
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marmaris address deleted
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How to make a complaint about mistreatment section updated
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Restructured to better explain the information and concentrate on local rules and regulations
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First published.