Turkey: Prisoners in need of urgent medical attention

                             TUR 030998
                                  
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT 
intervention in the following situation in Turkey.

Brief description of the situation:

The International Secretariat has received information from reliable 
sources raising grave fears for the long term health of two Turkish 
prisoners, as a result of their treatment in Prison.

According to information received, Leyla Buyukdag Butuner, a female 
prisoner of  Gebze Prison, (40kms from Istambul) requires urgent medical 
treatment on her eyes. Unless action is taken urgently it is feared that 
she will go blind.

In a report of the 6th April the Haseki hospital stated that she was 
suffering from myopic retinal degeneration which confirmed an earlier 
report and recommended immediate treatment. On 21 July following a 
deterioration in her sight doctors from the Cerrahpasa Hospital 
recommended that she receive treatment in the Forensic Medical Centre. 
The information states that delays in the official procedures are 
preventing her treatment. 

The information states that Leyla Buyukdag Butuner is serving a 12 and 
a half year sentence on charges of  belonging to an illegal organisation. 
It is alleged  that, during a series of detentions in the period 1987 - 1990, 
she was subjected to torture. Medical examinations attribute  her sight 
deterioration to the treatment inflicted.

Case 2:  Having taken part  in  a lengthy hunger strike in 1996, Mr Ergun 
Butuner a prisoner of Bayrampasa hospital began suffering from a 
medical condition known as Wernicke - Korsakoff syndrome. In an 
examination report of 16th March 1998, the Forensic Council of the 
Hospital of Bakirkoy recommended that " the execution of the prison 
term given to him should be suspended". A further examination by the 
Istanbul Faculty of medicine suggested that his condition was incurable. 
Given the appalling conditions of Turkish Jails there are grave fears for 
the long term physical and psychological integrity of Ergun Butuner.

In both cases the Turkish Constitution allows the President of Turkey to 
pardon the prisoners. Furthermore, article 399 of the Code of Criminal 
Procedure stipulates that if any illness imperils the convicts life the 
punishment can be suspended until the prisoner recovers. Under present 
legislation a prison term can be suspended on the recommendation of the 
Forensic Medicine Institute, however, such formal procedures can take 
many months indeed years.

Action requested:
Please write to the Turkish authorities urging them to :

i.  guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of both 
    Leyla Buyukdag Butuner and Ergun Butuner;

  ii. order their immediate transfer of the above to an appropriate 
    medical centre in accordance with Turkish law;

  iii Ensure that such treatment should extend to a period in 
    accordance with their medical need;

  iii.ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and 
    fundamental freedoms in accordance with national laws and 
    international standards.

  Addresses:
President Süleyman Demirel, Office of the President, Cumhur Baskanligi, 
06100 Ankara. 
Fax : + 90 312 427 13 30 Telegram : President Demirel, Ankara, Turkey. 

Prime Minister M. Yilmaz, office of the Prime Minister, Basbakanlik, 06573 
Ankara, Turkey. 
Fax : + 90 312 417 0476

Mrs. Ismail Cem, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
Disisleri Bakanligi 06100 Ankara Turkey. Fax : + 90 312 419 15 47

Mr. Olatan Sungurlu, Minister of Justice, Adalet Bakanligi, 06659, 
Ankara, Turkey. 
Fax: + 90 312 417 39 17

Mr. Basegioglu, Ministre de l'Intérieur, Fax : + 90 312 419 16 64

Geneva, 3 September 1998

The Human Rights Action Network, a part of Derechos Human Rights, distributes appeals on behalf of victims of human rights violations. You are invited to join the network. Please check the date of the present action and do not write if it's over a month old.