72 dead in Turkish prisons

Seventy two Marxist-Leninist political prisoners have died in a hunger strike in Turkish prisons since October last year.

The prisoners, all members of the Marxist-Leninist Community Party of Turkey, began their hunger strike on October 20th last year in protest of a reform in the Turkish prison system.

This reform, which came into effect last December, replaced the vast dormitories used in Turkish prisons with smaller cells to hold between one and three inmates.

Ankara remains inflexible, as the Turkish Defence Minister claims that the reforms will be carried out as proposed.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY PRAVDA.Ru LISBON PORTUGAL