The second working group meeting, aimed at reviewing and drafting amendments to the legislation on disciplinary and reward procedures for prisoners in Türkiye, was held in Ankara from 4 to 6 September 2023.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Enis Yavuz Yıldırım, Director General of the Prisons and Detention Houses acknowledged the importance of the project’s efforts to harmonise national legislation with the Council of Europe standards and international best practices for improving national correctional systems. He noted that the working group meeting and the subsequent activities under the project would contribute to building a more just, transparent, and standardized disciplinary and reward mechanism.

During this meeting the working group continued drafting amendments to the existing legislation concerning disciplinary and reward procedures for prisoners in Türkiye, started at its first meeting. The working group meeting was an efficient exchange of views, with all relevant stakeholders being present, active participation, specific proposals to develop more effective, fair and humane regulations for prisoner rehabilitation, aligning correctional procedures in Türkiye with European values and principles.

All substantive and procedural proposals of the Council of Europe consultants on disciplinary sanctions and proceedings were accepted after relevant discussions. The outcomes of this meeting will provide the necessary input for finalizing the legislative amendments, which will be presented to the stakeholders in a final round table meeting in the upcoming months.

This WG meeting was organised within the scope of the Project on "Enhancing the Disciplinary and Reward Procedures for Prisoners in Türkiye” co-funded by the Human Rights Trust Fund of the Council of Europe, Norway, Belgium, Türkiye and the Netherlands.