Police break Turkish jail protest

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Paramilitary police have ended a protest by prison inmates in all but one of Turkey's jails.

Around 400 inmates at an Istanbul prison are now the only ones left who are holding out in their armed protest against prison reforms after security forces ended a siege at the Canakkale prison in western Turkey.

At least 21 people, 19 of them prisoners, have died in fiery protests after paramilitary police stormed 20 prisons throughout Turkey in a three-day operation to end a mass hunger strike against the reforms.

While Canakkale prison was retaken with the surrender of 140 prisoners on Thursday, about 400 inmates at Umraniye remain defiant, armed with makeshift flame throwers.

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Officials said most of the prisoners who have died set themselves on fire, but human rights groups dispute that as well as reports about prisoners' weapons, and say the death toll is much higher.

Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said the operation, aimed at ending two-month hunger strikes and restoring state control in chaotic jails, was designed to minimise casualties.

"We are intent on ending the operations without any loss of life, and we hope that those inside (the jails) will not do anything insane," Turk said.

The Milliyet daily reported troops had shouted "Life is beautiful" in a bid to persuade prisoners to end the hunger strikes.

Relatives of the prisoners at Canakkale said in a statement they had filed a symbolic complaint with a local prosecutor against the Turkish government for committing a "crime against humanity" by raiding the prison.

Turk defended the raids as a move to save prisoners from fanatics who would sacrifice their lives to advance their ideological aims.

"Let this be a lesson about the fanaticism of the members of these groups," Turk said. "The families of these prisoners, and all the human rights organisations, need to be behind this intervention, not against it."

The prisoners are protesting against plans to replace large dormitories with jails based on smaller cells, which they claim will expose them to greater violence from jailers.

Turkish officials say extreme leftist groups are trying to preserve the power they hold in the dormitory system, under which prison officials patrol corridors but rarely enter wards.

The violence has prompted concern in the European Union, which Turkey wants to join, and sparked demonstrations across Turkey and in European cities.

Kurds threatened to immolate themselves on Wednesday after seizing the London Eye observation wheel beside the Thames and briefly occupying European Commission offices in London.

Health officials say that a large proportion of some 800 hunger strikers moved into hospitals are refusing treatment and doctors say force-feeding them would be unethical.

The Turkish parliament has approved an amnesty which could halve the number of prisoners in the country's jails.

The limited amnesty has been criticised for ignoring convicts who have fallen foul of tight political restrictions while freeing common criminals.

Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer bowed to government pressure on Thursday and ratified the amnesty. Sezer had vetoed the law earlier this month, arguing it was unjust and divisive.

But parliament passed it a second time unchanged on Wednesday, leaving Sezer no constitutional option but to sign it. He chose not to exercise his right to challenge the law by sending it for judicial review.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Turkish Prime Minister

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