Turkey leads Europe in prisoner population growth, reports Council of Europe

STRASBOURG / ANKARA — The Turkish government’s ongoing crackdown on its political opponents has significantly increased the country’s prison population, according to a report by the Council of Europe.

Turkey now ranks first in Europe for the growth in its prison population, with a total of 348,265 prisoners, equating to 405 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants.

Marcelo Aebi, the lead researcher for the report and a criminologist at the University of Lausanne, noted that Turkey’s prison population has been increasing by 15% annually, following a long-term trend observed since the coup attempt in July 2016. Many of those imprisoned have been convicted under anti-terrorism laws.

Covering the 12 months ending in February 2023, the report reveals that over 1 million people are incarcerated across the European continent.

According to the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), the imprisonment rate in Turkey has increased by more than 89 % in the 10 years between 2011 and 2021.