TGEU Countries: Turkey No reliable information exists about the number of available in prisons. For example, a trans inmate held in trans prisoners in Turkey or the problems that they face. Bafra Prison complained in a letter that her basic needs, According to data provided by the Directorate Gener- such as access to clothing, were not properly met. 20 Lim- al of Prisons (DGP), 16 there are currently 79 LGBTI in- ited access to a lawyer and restrictions on conjugal vis- mates in prison – most of whom are probably trans – but its by unmarried partners are other problems frequently the actual number is likely to be much higher. Letters mentioned by trans prisoners. from and interviews with trans inmates describe the violence, physical abuse and humiliation, including rape, solitary confinement and substandard living conditions, to which they are subject. 17 According to a report by the Civil Society in the Penal System (CISST), a Turkish non-governmental organisation, LGBTI prisoners live isolated in “a prison inside the prison”: they are “placed apart from other prisoners” for their own security. As a result, LGBTI prisoners are denied access to common prison facilities, which was found to be a violation of the Convention in the case of X v. Turkey. 18 The report also found that in order to be placed in a segregated ward, LGBTI persons must to submit to a medical examination in order to prove their gender identity or sexual orientation. Turkish authorities have commenced plans for a prison for LGBT inmates (a “pink prison”) that would further isolate and expose LGBT prisoners. For trans prisoners, access to hormones and other necessary gender-affirming treatment is not facilitated by the state or regularly paid for or reimbursed by the health insurance system. 19 Transgender people may access hormones with the help of the prison doctor, but they do not have the option of choosing the type of hormones best suited to their medical needs. Other needs, such as gendered clothing and grooming, are not made + 102 + + 103 +