Justice Minister: Standards Of Prisons In Turkey Are Much Higher Than Those In Europe

ANKARA - Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said on Wednesday that standards of prisons in Turkey were much higher than those in Europe.
Replying questions of reporters during his press conference, Cicek said that 2004 would be an historical opportunity and turning point regarding Turkey's European Union (EU) target. Noting that Turkey's target of integration with the EU was a social transformation project, Cicek said that justice took an important place in this project.
Stressing that standards of prisons in Turkey were much higher than those in Europe, Cicek said that there had been sixty-three thousand inmates in prisons in Turkey as of November 30, 2003.
Replying a question, Cicek said that there had been 2,419 applications to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against Turkey so far and ECHR sentenced Turkey to pay compensation in 314 of them while 18 of the cases resulted in favor of Turkey and Turkey reached friendly settlement in 559 cases.
(MS-AÖ) 07.01.2004