Detention, which should be a precaution against an impending crime, has become a punishment in Turkey. Since the late 2000s, many people have been arrested in the well-known Ergenekon, Balyoz, KCK (Koma Civaken Kurdistan-the Union of Kurdistan Communities) and other cases. Therefore, thousands of people from different parts of society (journalists, lawyers, military officers, trade unionists, activists etc.) are held in prisons for many years without provable evidence for their detention or any convictions. This question has become a crucial point in the progress reports of the European Commission since 2008. The reports have considered the length of pre-trial detention a cause for concern. The lengthy detentions in Turkey have also been on the agenda of a number of human rights organizations.
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