REPUBLIC OF TÜRKİYE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

MINISTER TUNÇ: WE PUT THE 8th JUDICIAL PACKAGE INTO EFFECT, WE ARE ABOUT TO COMPLETE THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE 9th JUDICIAL PACKAGE

Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç said, "We are endeavouring to introduce partial amendments and innovations in our legislation in line with the targets set out in the Judicial Reform Strategy Document and Action Plan on Human Rights. In the past months, we put the 8th Judicial Package into effect in the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. Now we are about to complete the preparations for the 9th Judicial Package."

In his remarks at the opening of the Conference on Technology in Penal Institutions held at a hotel in Kadıköy, Minister of Justice Tunç outlined that he was pleased to meet with the participants on the occasion of this event, which was organized for the 5th time in cooperation with the International Corrections and Prisons Association and the European Organisation of Prison and Correctional Services.

Stating that the use of technology in prisons has become an increasingly important issue, Minister Tunç noted that 35 workshops will be organized at the conference and 48 presentations will be delivered, 7 of which will be from Türkiye.

Minister Tunç also specified that in these presentations, topics such as digital rehabilitation, the use of smart technologies in penal institutions, the relationship between artificial intelligence and human rights will be discussed.

Expressing that Turkey has taken very important steps in the last 22 years in terms of the arbitration of the rule of law, the expansion of fundamental rights and freedoms and the improvement of the criminal justice system in accordance with human rights, Minister Tunç said:

"Especially within the scope of both our national policies and the European Union accession process, we have made significant progress in renewing our legislation and bringing it into conformity with the needs of the age. We have revised all of our basic laws in the last 22 years. We have brought all of our basic laws such as our Turkish Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, Code of Obligations, Commercial Code, Code of Civil Procedure into line with the needs of the age. We can openly say that we are a country that has the most modern and newest basic laws in the world, even in Europe."

WE WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY OUT REFORM EFFORTS WITHOUT SLOWING DOWN

Minister Tunç stated that the needs of the society and the development of information technologies and the emergence of new types of crimes have led to the need for new amendments to the laws and added, "We are endeavouring to introduce partial amendments and innovations in our legislation in line with the targets set out in the Judicial Reform Strategy Document and Action Plan on Human Rights. In the past months, we put the 8th Judicial Package into effect in the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. Now we are about to complete the preparations for the 9th Judicial Package and we will submit it for the consideration of Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and our deputies."

Emphasizing that in the last 22 years, they have made very important constitutional amendments that have expanded fundamental rights and freedoms, further increased the means of claiming rights, strengthened and consolidated the principle of democratic rule of law, Minister Tunç said that they will continue to carry out their reform efforts without slowing down in line with the targets set out in the Judicial Reform Strategy Documents.

1,670,000 E-COURT HEARINGS WERE HELD

Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç noted that they have signed important projects for the utilization of technology in the penal execution system, one of which is the e-court hearing system, and continued his words as follows:

"So far, 1 million 670 thousand court hearings have been held through the video hearing, which we call e-court hearing. The demands from our lawyers in this direction are increasing. They tell us about some problems in practice. We continue our efforts to eliminate such problems. Electronic notification has also been an important development in terms of the use of technology. In this regard, 213 million notifications were made electronically."

Noting that these 213 million notifications correspond to 7,500 tons of paper in terms of savings, Minister Tunç expressed, "This means saving 127 thousand trees. In other words, we have been instrumental in saving a forest."

Minister Tunç emphasized the importance of utilizing technology in establishing security in Penal Institutions and added, "Especially ACEP (Integration of Smart Technologies into Penal Institutions) is a project that we can show as an example for the use of smart technologies in the penal execution system. It is a project granted both national and international awards and we are developing this project day by day. Within the scope of the ACEP project, we have realized the audio and video communication opportunities of convicts and detainees from prisons. Convicts and detainees can talk with their relatives via video call."

Providing information about the e-doctor and e-canteen systems in prisons, Minister Tunç stated that works on applications of electronic petition, electronic letter, electronic library and electronic book request are also ongoing.

12,809 COURSES WERE ORGANIZED IN PRISONS IN THE LAST 1 YEAR

Noting that they consider prisons as education centres, Minister Tunç said:

"We have taken and continue to take important measures for the rehabilitation of criminals and the education of convicts and detainees. Currently, 63 thousand convicts and detainees are receiving education in prisons. There are convicts studying at primary, secondary, high school, master's and doctorate levels and 893 teachers are working in prisons. There are 53 thousand middle and high school students, 9 thousand university students, 61 master's and 21 PhD students. In 39 Justice Vocational Training Centres, 1080 detainees and convicts are learning profession. Previously, when a person who was released from prison after the execution of his/her sentence is over, he/she had no profession, but when he/she learns those professions, a person who committed a crime and entered prison is now released into the society as a socially beneficial individual who has a profession."

Noting that 12 thousand 809 courses were organized in prisons in the last 1 year and 158 thousand people received education through these courses, Minister Tunç said that 132 detainees and convicts receive education in 6 Multi-Program Anatolian High Schools.

Minister Tunç also stated that they attach importance to Prison Workshops in terms of rehabilitation of criminals and added, "In 367 Directorates of Prison Workshops in 403 penal institutions, production is carried out in 1700 ateliers and facilities so far."

394 PRISONS WERE CLOSED, 299 NEW PRISONS WERE OPENED FOR SERVICE

Minister of Justice Tunç announced that they have closed 394 prisons with inappropriate conditions and opened 299 prisons in line with human rights and modern criminal justice system.

Expressing that there is currently overcrowding in prisons, Minister Tunç said that they continue their efforts to provide a solution to this issue.

Referring to the Prison Rescue Organization, Minister Tunç stated, "There are 393 Search and Rescue personnel (CEKUT) of Penal Institutions in our search and rescue teams consisting of personnel in penal institutions and their number are currently increasing. It is an institution accredited with AFAD. During the February 6 earthquakes, they performed important task. They managed to rescue 41 people alive from under the rubble."

The conference was attended by Enis Yavuz Yıldırım, the Director General of Prisons and Detention Houses, officials from the International Association of Correctional and Penal Institutions and the European Prisons and Correctional Services Organization, academics and members of the judiciary from different countries.