CAT/C/TUR/CO/3 (a) Ensure access by independent monitoring bodies to “foreigners’ guesthouses” and other places of detention and pursue, without delay, with the construction of new shelters that provide safe and healthy living conditions; (b) Consider lifting the geographical limitation to the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees by withdrawing its reservation to the Convention; (c) Ensure that all recognized refugees have access to international protection provided by UNHCR; (d) Ensure effective access to the asylum procedure for apprehended foreigners kept in detention and introduce suspensive effect of deportation proceedings during consideration of asylum requests; (e) Ensure access of UNHCR personnel, in line with Ministry of Interior circular on asylum-seekers and refugees, to persons in detention who wish to apply for asylum, so as to ensure their right to do so; (f) Ensure access of lawyers to asylum-seekers and refugees in detention so as to ensure their right to challenge decisions concerning their asylum application or other aspect of their legal status before appropriate legal tribunals. Monitoring and inspections of places of detention 16. While noting information provided by the representative of the State party on the role of the Human Rights Inquiry Commission of the Parliament and welcoming that visits by human rights defenders to places of detention are permitted, the Committee regrets the absence of a formal regulation that allows for independent monitoring and visits by representatives of civil society to such places. The Committee also regrets the lack of information on the implementation of main recommendations and findings by the institutions referred to in paragraphs 58–68 in the State party’s report that are authorized to inspect places of detention (arts. 2, 11 and 16). The State party should provide information on formal regulations allowing independent visits to places where persons are deprived of their liberty by civil society representatives, lawyers, medical personnel, and members of local bar associations. The State party should also provide the Committee with detailed information on follow-up measures and activities pursuant to findings and recommendations by State institutions, including those referred to in paragraphs 58–68 of the State party’s report. Detention conditions 17. The Committee is seriously concerned at reported overcrowding in places of detention in the State party and notes the frank acknowledgment by the representative of the State party that the situation is “unacceptable”. In view of information provided by the State party on a total occupancy rate of 120,000 prisoners, half of whom are prisoners on remand, the Committee is concerned at the lack of consideration of alternative measures to deprivation of liberty by judicial authorities and at excessively long pretrial detention, especially of those tried in the new heavy penal courts. The Committee furthermore notes with concern information that certain privileges relating to group activities of prisoners can be restricted for persons accused of, or convicted for, terrorist or organized crime offences and held under solitary confinement in F-type prisons. While welcoming that recording of interrogations can be requested by the judge as evidence in criminal proceedings, the Committee is concerned that at present only 30 per cent of police stations are equipped with 8