ANKARA (AA) – Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek stated that the scope of cooperation between the Ministry and the Turkish Red Crescent for convicts and detainees will be expanded. Minister Gürlek and Turkish Red Crescent President Fatma Meriç Yılmaz attended the signing ceremony held at the Ministry of Justice for the cooperation protocol between the Ministry and the Turkish Red Crescent for convicts and detainees. Speaking at the ceremony, Gürlek stated that the penal system is human-oriented and aims to prepare those concerned for their lives after release.
In this context, Gürlek stated that a wide range of rehabilitation and reintegration activities are carried out in penal institutions and probation directorates, and stated that 80 thousand 978 convicts and detainees in prisons participated in training programs. Gürlek stated that 2,272 convicts who received training in 73 Vocational Training Centers completed their basic education and acquired professions in the industry, service and production sectors.
Stating that there are public education centers and libraries within penal institutions, Gürlek said, “Thanks to the 11 Justice Public Libraries and library collaborations we opened, convicts and detainees have access to a widespread resource pool containing 24 million books. Book reading rates are increasing regularly every year and 1 million 340 thousand 953 books were read in 2026.” gave the information. Gürlek stated that spiritual guidance services are also provided in penal institutions, there are 952 preachers working in the institutions, and 170 convicts are entitled to receive hafiz certificates.
– The scope of cooperation will be expanded. Minister of Justice Gürlek said that the Turkish Red Crescent has always been a valuable stakeholder for the Ministry of Justice and that they have cooperated on many issues before. Gürlek stated that the scope of cooperation includes providing road assistance to child convicts and their families, educational assistance to convicts and detainees between the ages of 12-18, and providing toys and clothes to female convicts and detainees who are in prison with their children.
Reminding that there has been cooperation with the Turkish Red Crescent on covering video call fees and meeting the needs of kindergartens and playgrounds starting from 2021, Gürlek continued: “With the new protocol we will sign, our ongoing successful cooperation will be carried forward, a step will be taken that will expand the scope of our cooperation and provide a more systematic structure. With the new protocol, our work will be further expanded by expanding the target audience and the activities to be carried out, and by including the probation directorates as well as penal institutions within the scope of the protocol.” “It will have a holistic structure.
Since vocational training activities have an active role in the process of improvement and reintegration into society, our new protocol includes supporting the education of child detainees, convicts and probation officers and establishing professional development workshops.” – “We are a bridge of goodness” Turkish Red Crescent President Yılmaz stated that the Turkish Red Crescent has a 158-year history and that they have come to the aid of the Turkish nation without discrimination throughout this period.
Pointing out that they also work on behalf of people in prisons, Yılmaz said, “We are a bridge of goodness, each person in prisons is a target for us, in order to reintegrate them into society.” he said.
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