Fifteen inmates died and two paramilitary soldiers were killed yesterday in a crackdown on 20 Turkish jails to end a two-month hunger-strike over a controversial prison reform, Turkey's Justice Minister said.
"Fifteen inmates lost their lives, most of them after setting themselves ablaze," Mr Hikmet Sami Turk told reporters. "Two soldiers were killed and three others injured," he said, adding that
57 inmates were injured, also mainly due to self-immolation.
The operations, which started early yesterday, were continuing in two prisons. Mr Turk said 575 hunger-strikers were "rescued" and put in hospital.
More than 200 inmates, mostly from the extreme left, have been on a "death fast" for 61 days to protest against new jails where cells for three people at most will replace present dormitories, which house up to 60 inmates.
Some 1,000 others have been on a limited hunger-strike, taking only small amounts of sugar and water, in support of starving fellow prisoners.
Prisoners say the small cells would make them vulnerable to abuse by jailers.
Officials say the transfers to "F-Type" cells are necessary to break the influence of organised crime gangs, far-left groups, Kurdish separatist and militant Islamic groups in the jails.
The security forces' action came days after the government decided to send a limited amnesty law, which could halve the prison population, back to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. He had rejected it last week as unjust and divisive.
Government officials say gang leaders and political criminals are fighting to keep control over a life behind bars, which is primarily run by inmates with guns and mobile phones. Gang leaders bring in sofas, colour televisions and fridges. Gang warfare is common.
"It is unthinkable for the state to stand by and watch as people bring themselves face to face with death," Mr Turk said. "The goal of this operation is to save people's lives."
The Prime Minister, Mr Bulent Ecevit, said every effort was being made not to harm the prisoners, but denounced their demands and the fast as a means of advancing them.
"This operation is an effort to save the terrorists from their own terrorism," he said.
Relatives of left-wing prisoners gathered outside Bayrampasa prison and denounced the raids, the transfer plan and the amnesty law.
In Berne about a dozen demonstrators occupied a room in the Swiss Federal Parliament building, protesting against the raids, sources inside the parliament said.