Turkish prison strike continues

Anti-prison reform protesters clashed with the police

The Turkish Government says more than 350 prison inmates are still refusing food, five days after the security forces launched raids on jails across the country to end the protest.

Troops regained control on Friday of the last of 20 prisons, leaving a total of 26 prisoners and two police officers dead.

Many victims are said to have set themselves ablaze

The inmates want to stop transfers to new maximum security prisons where they say they will exposed to attacks by guards, who are often accused of committing abuses.

Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk warned that the government would not back down from the transfer plans.

Dead end

Mr Turk said that following the storming of the jails, 1,005 prisoners were transferred to three of the new prisons and that nearly 400 had quit their hunger strike.

Inmates fear new cells will expose them to abuse

He said the jails had been raided to "rescue the prisoners" - many of whom, he insisted, had been forced to fast by extreme left-wing groups.

Mr Turk said that 353 continued their two-month long "death-fast", and that more than 1,600 others were carrying-out a hunger strike of solidarity, taking just minimal amounts of sugar.

"Some inmates continue their acts in the trap of fanaticism into which they had fallen," he said.

Condemnation

The minister urged the strikers to put an end to their protests and to realise that they had reached a dead end.

"If their condition deteriorates we will do whatever is necessary for medical intervention," he warned.

The European Commission has expressed concern over the crackdown.

Turkey's attempt to gain membership of the EU depends on improving its human rights record and democratic institutions.

Human rights groups have also condemned the assault.

Amnesty International has called for a full and independent inquiry into the raids.