Maltepe Prison (3 No'lu L Tipi): A Guide for Families of Foreign Detainees
If someone you love has been taken to Maltepe Prison in Istanbul, you are probably frightened and full of questions. Here is the short answer: "Maltepe 3 No'lu L Tipi" is a closed prison in Istanbul where foreign nationals are held, and even from another country there are concrete things you can do to help. This guide explains what the prison is, whether your relative is being held before or after trial, how to find and stay in touch with them, and how a lawyer in Türkiye (Turkey) can act for your family when you cannot travel. Take it one step at a time — you do not need to understand the whole system today.
What is Maltepe 3 No'lu L Tipi, and where is my relative?
Maltepe 3 No'lu L Tipi Kapalı Ceza İnfaz Kurumu is a closed, L-type prison inside the large Maltepe prison campus, on the Anatolian (Asian) side of Istanbul. Within that campus, it is the institution where foreign nationals are concentrated — in everyday speech, people call it "the foreigners' prison."
"Closed" means it is a secure prison: inmates live inside and do not leave for work or the day. "L-type" simply describes a building design used for many of Türkiye's closed prisons. It is a category of building, not a comment on how serious your relative's case is.
The institution is reported to hold people from more than 90 nationalities. It is predominantly foreign, but not only foreign — a smaller number of Turkish nationals are held there too. The same campus also contains other prisons (Maltepe No. 1 and No. 2 L-type, and a juvenile institution), so the foreign-nationals prison is specifically No. 3.
Where is your relative's case right now?
Is my relative a remand prisoner or a convicted prisoner?
This is the first thing to find out, because it changes everything that follows. A remand prisoner (in Turkish, tutuklu) has not been convicted — their case is still going on, and the law treats them as innocent until a court decides. A convicted prisoner (hükümlü) has a sentence that has become final.
Your relative reached Maltepe by one of two paths. After police custody (gözaltı), a person is brought before a judgeship of peace (sulh ceza hâkimliği), which can release them, place them under judicial control (adli kontrol, such as regular reporting or a travel ban), or order pre-trial detention (tutukluluk). If instead the trial has already finished and the conviction is final, the person is there to serve the sentence.
| Remand prisoner (tutuklu) | Convicted prisoner (hükümlü) | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Not yet convicted; treated as innocent while the case continues | Sentence is final after conviction |
| How they got here | Ordered detained by a judgeship of peace during the investigation or trial | Sentenced by a trial court; the conviction became final |
| Purpose of detention | To secure the trial and preserve evidence | To serve the sentence that was imposed |
| Defence-lawyer contact | Meetings with defence counsel cannot be prevented or restricted (Law 5275, Art. 114(5)) | Right to meet a lawyer; defence meetings are confidential (Law 5275, Art. 59) |
| Transfer to home country | Not available — a final conviction is required | May be possible if strict conditions are met (Law 6706 / Strasbourg 1983) |
| Can it change? | Yes — may be released, put under judicial control, or later convicted | Conviction stands; next questions are usually the sentence, transfer, or deportation |
If you are not sure which category your relative is in, a lawyer can confirm it quickly by checking the court file. It is worth knowing, because a remand prisoner's situation can still change, while a convicted prisoner's next steps usually concern the sentence, transfer, or deportation.
How do I confirm my relative is really being held there, and find them?
The two reliable ways to confirm where your relative is held are a lawyer registered with a bar in Türkiye and your relative's consulate. A family abroad usually cannot get this information by calling the prison directly, especially across a language barrier.
A Türkiye-bar lawyer can check the national case system to confirm the charge or sentence, which prosecutor's office or court holds the file, and where the person is detained. This is often the fastest way to turn fear and rumour into facts you can act on.
Your relative's embassy or consulate is the second route. Once notified, consular staff can usually confirm the detention and pass basic welfare information back to the family. We cover their role in more detail below.
How can we stay in contact — visits, calls and letters?
Families keep in touch through prison visits, the telephone programme, and letters — and your relative has the right to an interpreter in dealings with the authorities. You do not have to be in Türkiye to write letters or, in many cases, to receive calls.
Visits. Contact between inmates and their families is governed by the Regulation on the Visiting of Convicts and Remand Prisoners (Hükümlü ve Tutukluların Ziyaret Edilmeleri Hakkında Yönetmelik). It provides for closed (cabin) visits, separated by a screen, and open (face-to-face) visits; the regulation sets how often and how long visits may be.
Telephone. Inmates have a telephone right under the law, usually to approved numbers on a set schedule. This right can be restricted for people classed as dangerous or convicted of organised-crime or terrorism offences.
Letters. Letters are often the simplest lifeline, especially from abroad. Write clearly, keep it supportive, and use the prison's full name together with your relative's details.
Interpreter. If your relative does not speak Turkish, the Criminal Procedure Code gives them the right to a free interpreter when giving statements and in court, so they are not left guessing about their own case.
Does my relative have the right to contact their consulate?
Yes. Under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, a detained foreign national has the right to have their consulate told and to be visited by consular officers. Türkiye is a party to this treaty.
What a consulate can and cannot do. Consular staff can visit, check on welfare, pass messages to the family, and often provide a list of local lawyers. They generally do not pay for a private lawyer, act as your relative's defence, or interfere with the Turkish court. That legal work is a lawyer's role.
If your relative was never given the chance to contact their consulate, tell the lawyer — it is a right, and it can be raised. We explain how lawyer access and consular access work together in our guide on the lawyer and consular rights of a detainee in Turkey.
I will instruct my own lawyer at home and send them to the prison in Istanbul.
A lawyer registered only abroad cannot act as your relative's defence counsel before a Turkish court. Access to the prison is restricted too: under Law No. 5275, Art. 59, a foreign lawyer who holds no power of attorney may meet the inmate only together with a lawyer registered with a Türkiye bar, and then only in connection with proceedings abroad. In practice the Türkiye-bar lawyer is the person who can actually act.
The embassy will take care of the legal side for us.
Consular staff can visit, check on welfare, pass messages to the family, and often provide a list of local lawyers. They generally do not pay for a private lawyer, act as your relative's defence, or interfere with the Turkish court. Under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations your relative can have the consulate notified and be visited, but the legal work is a lawyer's role.
He has not been convicted, so we can ask for him to be sent home to serve the time near us.
Transfer to serve a sentence in the home country requires a final conviction, so it is not open to a remand prisoner (tutuklu). While the case is still going on, the relevant step is a lawyer objecting to the pre-trial detention and asking for release or judicial control. Transfer only becomes possible, in some cases, once a conviction is final.
Deportation at the end of the sentence is automatic and there is nothing to be done.
It is not automatic in every case. Under Law No. 6458 the foreigner or their lawyer can appeal a deportation decision to the administrative court within 7 days of notification, and that application pauses the deportation until the court rules. A lawyer can advise whether an appeal is possible on your relative's facts.
I have read that Maltepe is overcrowded — what are conditions like?
Independent monitors have reported overcrowding in Turkish prisons, and Maltepe has been mentioned in that context. We say this plainly, not to alarm you, but so you are not caught off guard by what you may read online.
Reports from the Ministry of Justice and from human-rights inspection bodies — such as Türkiye's Human Rights and Equality Institution (TİHEK) — describe conditions at different dates, and the figures change over time. That is why we do not quote a single "headcount" as if it were fixed; numbers vary by report and by date.
What this means in practice: your relative may be sharing a crowded space, and some services can be stretched. It does not mean they are without rights. Access to a lawyer, to medical care, to correspondence and to consular contact continues to apply, and a lawyer can raise a specific welfare or health concern with the administration if one arises.
How can a lawyer help when we cannot fly to Türkiye?
A lawyer in Türkiye can meet your relative in private, follow the case file, and act on your family's behalf — none of which requires you to travel. This is often the single most useful thing a family abroad can arrange.
Because these meetings are confidential and, for a remand prisoner, cannot be blocked, a lawyer can hear your relative's account directly, explain the charge in a language they understand, and make sure they are not making decisions alone and afraid.
Following the file. A lawyer can read the case file, attend hearings, receive court decisions, and translate each step into plain updates for the family — so you are not relying on second-hand messages.
To act, most families instruct a lawyer registered with a Türkiye bar who works on criminal defence for foreign nationals. They can meet your relative, follow the file, and keep you updated from abroad.
What routes might exist for my relative?
Depending on where the case stands, three routes may be relevant: challenging the detention, applying to serve the sentence at home, or challenging a deportation after release. No route is guaranteed, and which one fits depends entirely on your relative's stage and facts.
Challenging detention (for a remand prisoner). While the case is ongoing, a lawyer can object to the pre-trial detention and ask for release or judicial control (adli kontrol). Detention is meant to be reviewed, not permanent, and circumstances can change as the case develops.
Transfer to the home country (for a convicted prisoner). If the conviction is final, your relative may, in some cases, apply to serve the remaining sentence in their own country, under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons (Strasbourg, 1983) and Turkish Law No. 6706. This usually needs a final conviction, dual criminality, a minimum remaining sentence, and the consent of the sentenced person and of both governments; the Minister of Justice decides. It is not open to remand prisoners, and no transfer is automatic — both states must agree.
Deportation and entry ban (after the sentence). Many foreign nationals face a deportation decision (sınır dışı etme kararı) and an entry ban once their sentence ends, under the Law on Foreigners and International Protection (Law No. 6458).
We cover the last two routes in their own guides: transfer to serve a Turkish sentence in your home country and deportation and entry ban after prison in Turkey. You can also return to our hub for families of foreign prisoners in Türkiye for the full set.
Whatever stage your relative is at, you are not powerless from abroad. The first practical steps — confirming where they are, getting a Türkiye-bar lawyer in to see them, and making sure their consulate is involved — can usually be started this week.
This article is general information about Turkish law and is not legal advice; for advice on your specific situation, consult a qualified lawyer.
Gives an inmate the right to meet their lawyer where the conversation cannot be overheard, and says a remand prisoner's meetings with defence counsel cannot be prevented or restricted.
Governs detention decisions and gives a foreign detainee the right to an interpreter, at no cost to them, when giving statements and in court.
Article 53 covers how a deportation decision is taken, served and appealed within 7 days to the administrative court; Article 9 sets the entry ban that follows removal, at a maximum of five years.
Together with the Strasbourg 1983 Convention, this is the route by which a convicted prisoner may apply to serve the remaining sentence at home.
What to gather before you speak to a lawyer
You cannot fix everything today, and you do not need to. These are the facts and papers that let a lawyer or a consulate move quickly on your relative's file.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find out if my relative is really in Maltepe prison?
The most reliable ways are a lawyer registered with a bar in Türkiye, who can check the national case system, and your relative's embassy or consulate. Families abroad usually cannot get this information by calling the prison directly. Have the passport name, date of birth and nationality ready, as they make the search much faster.
Can I visit my relative if I fly to Istanbul?
Visits are allowed under the Regulation on the Visiting of Convicts and Remand Prisoners, with closed (cabin) and open (face-to-face) visits on set days and for set durations. The rules on who counts as an approved visitor and what you may bring have real detail. Our separate guide on visiting a relative in a Turkish prison walks through them.
My relative has not been convicted. Can they be sent home to serve time?
No. Transfer to serve a sentence in the home country needs a final conviction, so it is not available to a remand prisoner (tutuklu). While the case is ongoing, the relevant step is usually a lawyer objecting to the pre-trial detention and asking for release or judicial control. Transfer only becomes possible, in some cases, after a conviction is final.
We cannot afford to travel. Can our relative still see a lawyer?
Yes. A lawyer registered with a Türkiye bar can meet your relative in prison without you being present, and under Law No. 5275 those defence meetings are confidential. For a remand prisoner, the law says meetings with defence counsel cannot be prevented or restricted. You can instruct the lawyer from abroad.
Will my relative be deported after prison?
Many foreign nationals face a deportation decision and an entry ban at the end of a sentence, under Law No. 6458. It is not automatic in every case, and there is a right to challenge a deportation decision at the administrative court within 7 days of notification, which suspends the removal until the court decides. A lawyer can advise whether an appeal is possible on your relative's facts.
Does it matter that my relative does not speak Turkish?
Your relative has the right to a free interpreter when giving statements and in court under the Criminal Procedure Code, so they are not left to face the case in a language they do not understand. A lawyer can also explain each step in plain terms and keep your family updated. For letters and calls, you can communicate in your own language.
