Turkish political prisoners left out of plan to reduce jail population
As fear of the novel coronavirus grow, Ankara lawmakers are weighing reforms that would release up to 90,000 inmates from overcrowded Turkish jails, drawing criticism for excluding political prisoners.
ISTANBUL — As the number of coronavirus cases grow in Turkey, lawmakers are seeking to limit the spread of the disease in the nation’s overcrowded prison system.
As of Wednesday, Turkish health officials reported a total of 15,679 Covid-19 cases and 277 virus-linked deaths in the country, where a virtual lockdown on domestic travel and commerce have disrupted daily life amid the global pandemic.
