Misplaced Pages

İmralı prison

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by SL93 (talk | contribs) at 06:11, 14 June 2021 (fix typo). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Revision as of 06:11, 14 June 2021 by SL93 (talk | contribs) (fix typo)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Prison in Turkey
Imralı prison
Entrance of Imrali prison
Opened1935
State/provinceBursa Province
CountryTurkey

İmralı prison is an F-Type high security prison on the island of İmralı in the Sea of Marmara. It is currently used as a prison for a few prisoners from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and one prisoner of the Communist Party of Turkey/Marxist–Leninist (CKP/ML). The prison facility is guarded by the military and monitored also over satellite imagery fro space.

Location

The prison is located on Imrali island in the Sea of Marmara, south of Istanbul. The island is accessible by boat from Mudanya at the southern coast of the Sea of Marmara.

History

It was established in 1935 as a semi open prison and is a witness to several memorable moments in Turkish history. Following the Turkish military coup in 1960, ex-Prime Minister Adnan Menderes was imprisoned on the island.After the death sentences delivered at the Yassiada trials [tr], on Yassiada island, the ex-Foreign Minster Fatin Rustu Zorlu and ex-Finance Minister Hasan Polatkan were both hung on the 15 September 1961 while Menderes was hung two days later. After February 1999, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) Abdullah Öcalan was captured, the island was vacated and placed within a military zone. In November 2009, a new detention facility was inaugurated to which Öcalan and five other prisoners coming from mainland Turkey were transferred to.

Detention conditions

Until 1999, the prison's inmates produced soap and some were employed as shepherds of animals. After the capture of Abdullah Öcalan in February 1999, the animals as well as the prison population were transferred to mainland Turkey to make space for the security personel and Öcalan. Between 1999 and 2009 he was the only inmate. In November 2009 he was joined by five other prisoners. The detention conditions have been controlled several times since 1999 by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture. The prisoners have access to health facilities on the island and can interact with each other six hours per week.

Prison breaks

Billy Hayes, who was imprisoned for smuggling hashish from Turkey, escaped from the island in 1975.

In 1997, several Chechens who were imprisoned on the island were also able to escape.

In popular culture

Bill Hayes's stay on and escape from Imrali prison are described in the film Midnight Express by Oliver Stone, which is based on Hayes's book.

In the film Yol by Yilmaz Güney, inmates are preparing for a visit at home.

Notable inmates

References

  1. "Öcalan'ın İmralı'dan gönderilmesini istediği 5 mahkûmun isimleri". T24 (in Turkish). Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  2. ^ "PKK leader Ocalan gets company in prison". United Press International. 17 November 2009. Retrieved 2021-06-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. "Ocalan Affecting Turkish Town". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  4. ^ Morris, Chris (1999-02-20). "Turkey makes sure its prison island is deserted for a new Kurdish inmate". The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. "May 27: A dark military coup in Turkey". May 27: A dark military coup in Turkey. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 2021-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ "Turkey's first coup still a raw nerve". BBC News. 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  7. "Report to the Turkish Government". Council of Europe. 9 July 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ King, Laura (1 March 1999). "Ocalan Affecting Turkish Town". Associated Press. Retrieved 2021-06-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. "Report to the Turkish Government". Council of Europe. 20 March 2018. p. 3.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. "Report to the Turkish Government". Council of Europe. p.4
  11. "Report to the Turkish Government". Council of Europe, p. 5
  12. ^ Romero, Frances (2011-04-26). "Top 10 Prison Escapes - TIME". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  13. Hudgins, Graven (18 September 1960). "Turks hang ex-Premier Menderes". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 3.
  14. Silverman, Reuben (6 September 2014). "The Realm of the Ugly King". Jadaliyya - جدلية. Retrieved 2021-06-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
Categories: