The prisoners were killed by smoke inhalation late on Saturday, after inmates set their beds ablaze in a prison in the southeastern city of Sanliurfa, AFP reported.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that according to a survivor’s account, the fire started as inmates fought amongst themselves.
“I was also informed by the governor that the conditions in the cell were not suitable to accommodate that many inmates,” he added.
Police forces were deployed to prevent further disorder, and they used pepper spray to disperse prisoners’ families who sought to be informed of the identities of inmates who died in the incident.
Sanliurfa prison, which holds around 1,000 prisoners, “also hosts a large political prisoners’ section”, security sources said.
JMA/MF/JR
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