108. With regard to article 2 of the Convention, the representative stated that responsibility for applying article 19 of the Constitution was vested in independent jUdges. Referring to the duration of detention for persons involved in collective offences, he explained that the question concerned o"ly a small percentage of all detainees and that detention periods were to be shortened under the bill of amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure mentioned in the report which covered emergency legislation. The families of persons arrested or detained were informed first of all by the police and then by the prosecutor. Only the judge 'was empowered to prolong detention. Law enforcement was the responsibility of the security forces. The number of detainees in Turkish prisons was at present approximately 50,000. 109. Furthermore, the representative pointed out that prisoners of conscience sentenced for an offence against the State were small in number. On the other hand, approximately 3,000 persons were still being detained or had been sentenced for having committed acts of violence, particularly acts of terrorism, -over the past 10 years. A death sentence could not be carried out without the approval of Parliament, which currently had approximately 270 death sentences before it. Since November 1984, no condemned person had been executed. Being held incommunicado in prison was only a disciplinary measure which had now been abolished. The parliamentary commission on human rights would concentrate mainly on the preparation of new laws. The results of its work would be communicated in the next periodic report. 110. The representative denied that his Government was seeking to compel Iraqi citizens housed in temporary reception centres to return to their country. For the past two years Turkey had been appealing to all the parties interested in the fate of those displaced persons to shoulder their responsibilities and to find means of resettling them, but so far its appeals had remained unheeded. The reception centres in question were open aud Turkey was working together with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 111. With reference to artiCle 4 of the Convention, the representative pointed out that the punishment that could be imposed on perpetrators of torture varied according to the seriousness of the offence and could amount to as much as 10 years' imprisonment. Moreover, the penalties provided for in the Penal Code could be doubled. If the perpetrator ef an act of torture could not be identified, the State became responsible. An action for compensation could be brought against the Ministry of the Interior. 112. In connection with article 5 of the Convention, the representative provided detailed information about the number of alleged cases of torture brought before the courts in Turkey. The difference between the number of complaints made and the number of sentences handed down for torture was explained by the fact that only cases already tried were indicated. There were still 354 persons charged with torture who had not yet been tried. 113. Referring to articles 8 and 15 of the Convention, the representative considered that their provisions were directly applicable in Turkey. 114. With regard to articles 10 and 11 of the Convention, the representative stated that in Turkey forensic physicians were fully independent and that prison doctors and warders were provided with human rights training, although resources allocated to such activities were limited. As to the improvement of -22-