Prosecutors Appeal Decision to Drop Notorious Prison Deaths Case

Prosecutors have formally appealed a court's decision to dismiss the "Return to Life" prison operation case due to the statute of limitations. The Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office filed the appeal, arguing the lower court's ruling was "in violation of the law in terms of procedure and substance." They requested the decision be overturned. The case concerns a 2000 police and military operation across multiple Turkish prisons. The operation, code-named "Return to Life," aimed to end inmate protests. It resulted in the deaths of 32 people. A Turkish court recently ruled the case could not proceed because the legal time limit for prosecution had expired. This new appeal challenges that finding, seeking to reopen one of Turkey's most controversial legal proceedings.