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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000311 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL OSCE TU
SUBJECT: MIDNIGHT EXPRESS IT'S NOT:  MODEL TURKISH PRISON 
SHOWCASES JUSTICE SECTOR REFORM 
 
 
1.(SBU) Summary:  GOT and EU officials inaugurated Turkey's 
second "model prison" on February 8 in the western town of 
Usak.  The GOT overhauled the medium security facility where 
violent riots killed four during the 1990s as part of a 10.7 
million Euro EU-funded Judicial Modernization and Penal 
Reform Program.  The three-year project transformed the 
crumbling facility where inmates previously lived together in 
large "wards" into a solid structure with a calming 
pastel-colored interior, clean four-person cells, a library, 
gym, medical center, and educational and vocational training 
rooms.  Turkey's Director General of Prisons Kenan Ipek 
declared at the opening that the GOT is poised to implement 
this rehabilitative model in prisons throughout Turkey. 
Although human rights contacts maintain that Turkey's prison 
system remains imperfect, the Usak project shows that with EU 
assistance, Turkey can effectively overhaul its more 
antiquated institutions when it is determined to do so.  The 
GOT's rapid transformation of some of its most violent and 
decrepit prisons into paradigms of modern rehabilitative 
punishment remains one of its unsung success stories.  End 
summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
GOT Transforms "Riot Prison" to "Model Prison" 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
2.(U) On February 8, the Ministry of Justice and EU 
Delegation to Turkey jointly inaugurated Turkey's second 
"model prison" in Usak, located in Western Turkey.  The 
medium security, or E-type prison, has a capacity of 501 
inmates and currently houses, in separate quarters, several 
hundred men, twenty women, and twelve under-18 boys.  The 
effort is parthllfter a series of bloody rioQs during the 1990s in which five 
people were killed, it had become a symbol of the sad state 
of Turkish detention facilities.  The GOT hoped to erase 
images of past prisoner rebellions against staff, and show 
that it could turn a problematic facility into one fully in 
line with European standards. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
Prison's New Face:  Pastel Pink and Soothing Yellow 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
3.(U) Slideshows at the opening ceremony and a two-hour 
walking tour through most of the prison highlighted the 
differences between past and present:  Dark, crumbling 
buildings had been turned into solid structures painted with 
pastel colors chosen for their calming effect on inmates. 
Large wards where hundreds of prisoners lived together, and 
that led to gang violence, became three or four person cells. 
 Barren, unused rooms were turned into a library with 
thousands of books, modern gym facilities, and education and 
vocational training rooms.  Decrepit medical rooms were 
turned into hygienic dental and medical examination and 
treatment rooms. 
 
----------------------------- 
Renovation More Than Physical 
----------------------------- 
 
4.(U) The aim of the project was not only to improve physical 
conditions in the prison but to educate the staff in modern 
prison administration methods, Ipek told us during the tour. 
The project organized training programs for the prison staff 
to improve dialogue among themselves and with detainees. 
From prison directors to guards, all staff attended the 
Council of Europe-led classes covering areas such as human 
rights, conflict management, anger management and behavioral 
science.  Over three years, European Council and MOJ 
officials worked to implement eight different training 
programs to educate the 200 prison staff on modern prison 
administration methods. 
 
5.(U) During our tour we observed another important element 
 
ANKARA 00000311  002 OF 002 
 
 
of the program -- educational and vocational training 
programs for detainees.  Over 75 per cent of inmates take 
part in training workshops where they can learn skills in 
hairdressing, auto shop, textile weaving, plumbing, 
computers, electrica- preparing detainees for release.  Theyhad 
further helped decrease annual disciplina2y cases to 12 from 
over one hundred the previous year. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
The Challenge: Implementing the Model Throughout Turkey 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
6.(U) EC delegation Justice Section Head Michael Vogele 
pressed the GOT to continue to modernize its prisons as part 
of the overall strategy of justice reform.  During his 
inauguration speech, Vogele said that many Turkish prisons 
remain overcrowded and under-resourced.  The EU stands ready 
to assist in the challenge.  DG Ipek said Turkey would rise 
to the challenge.  The MOJ has now trained over 18,000 of its 
prison staff at its four training centers, and will continue 
to collaborate with other ministries, the EU, local NGOs 
until all prison staff are properly trained. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Human Rights Observers Cautiously Optimistic 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
7.(SBU) Human rights contacts welcome the advancements the 
Usak model prison represents, but cautioned that prison 
conditions remain inconsistent throughout the country.  Human 
Rights Association President Yusuf Alatas told us that the 
worst problems, such as physical torture, have nearly ceased. 
 However, the physical conditions of prisons are still very 
bad in much of the country, vocational training opportunities 
are rare, and prison staff usually do not received training 
in the humane treatment of inmates, according to Alatas.  He 
remained cautiously optimistic that the EU accession process 
would help spur the GOT to continue momentum on prison 
reform.  Izmir Human Rights attorney Nalan Erkem told us that 
the main problem is that prisons are not open to civil 
monitoring by domestic organizations.  The GOT's "prison 
monitoring boards" are comprised mostly of government 
officials, are toothless, and ultimately ineffective.  The 
GOT continues to show off its handful of model facilities to 
foreigners while it keeps all other prisons closed off. 
 
8.(SBU) Comment:  The Usak model prison projects highlights 
the tremendous progress Turkey has made in improving human 
rights since it stepped up the pace of its EU harmonization 
efforts in 2004.  It also illustrates what Turkey can 
accomplish when it works determinedly and collaboratively to 
transform its more antiquated institutions.  While human 
rights observers correctly point out that more transparency 
is still needed, Turkey's rapid transformation of some of its 
most violent, decrepit, and overcrowded prisons into 
paradigms of modern rehabmains e at 
http://www.state.sov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON