Turkey is preparing to release from jail hundreds of individuals convicted of petty crimes to make room for people arrested over their links to the Gulen movement or support of the 2016 coup.
The Turkish government issued new decrees on Friday stating that it would release 3,000 criminals on probation, with the exception of those who were in jail for terrorism, sexual assault or coup-related activities.
The new measures also contain a closure proposing to move 10,000 convicts from heavy security prisons to open jails. Such a step will help to deal with prison overcrowding as hundreds of people are detained every week amid the ongoing purge.
Turkey’s prisons are severely overcrowded after 50,000 people were sent to jail in the aftermath of the failed 2016 coup.
Last year, Ankara released 38,000 convicted inmates, allowing them to rejoin society.