An assessment mission focusing on the needs of women prisoners in Türkiye was carried out between 4 and 8 May 2026. Drawing on the expertise of two international consultants, the mission examined key aspects of women’s detention conditions, including access to healthcare, safety and dignity,  and institutional practices responding to women’s specific needs. It also provided an opportunity to identify strengths, challenges and areas for improvement, thereby contributing to the development of a gender-sensitive and human rights-based prison management model.

The mission commenced in Ankara with a series of meetings with representatives of the Directorate General for Prisons and Detention Houses, the Ministry of Health, the National Preventive Mechanism, civil society organisations and civil monitoring boards. This was complemented by field visits to selected pilot prisons, namely Sincan Women’s Prison, Eskişehir L-Type Prison and Diyarbakır Women’s Prison. During these visits, interviews and observations were conducted with prison management, prison staff and prisoners to gather first-hand information on current practices and needs.

The mission marked an important milestone in the implementation of the Joint Programme, supporting efforts to strengthen the rights of women in prisons and to further align prison policies and practices with Council of Europe and other international standards. The findings of the mission will contribute to the broader needs assessment phase and baseline study under the Joint Programme and guide future activities aimed at improving detention conditions, strengthening rehabilitation and reintegration pathways and advancing gender-responsive prison management in Türkiye.

The mission was organised within the framework of the Joint Programme on “Strengthening Rights and Conditions of Women in Prisons in Türkiye in line with International and EU Standards”, which is co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.