E/CN.4/19 89/15 page 43 i l l - t r e a t m e n t h a s been l o d g e d . In t h i s c o n t e x t , i t i s assumed t h a t t h e p r o s e c u t o r s a l s o have the competence t o v i s i t p l a c e s of d e t e n t i o n , o t h e r t h a n p o l i c e s t a t i o n s , where suspected p e r s o n s may l a w f u l l y be h e l d , s i n c e a l l c r i m i n a l i n v e s t i g a t i o n s are c a r r i e d o u t under t h e i r r e s p o n s i b i l i t y . S t r e n g t h e n i n g the s t a f f of the p r o s e c u t o r ' s o f f i c e s a l s o seems n e c e s s a r y , i n order t o e n a b l e t h e p r o s e c u t o r s t o comply s t r i c t l y with t h e 48-hour r u l e and the 10-day p e r i o d ; (e) T r a i n i n g programmes for law enforcement p e r s o n n e l focused on r e s p e c t for human r i g h t s should be a m a t t e r of high p r i o r i t y ; (f) The human r i g h t s c o u n s e l l i n g o f f i c e s could be g i v e n an independent s t a t u s . If t h i s proves t o be i m p o s s i b l e , an independent body should be e s t a b l i s h e d , where c i t i z e n s can bring complaints about v i o l a t i o n s of t h e i r human r i g h t s , i n c l u d i n g t o r t u r e or i l l - t r e a t m e n t . Whenever a complaint about t o r t u r e has been brought and found j u s t i f i e d , t h e o f f i c i a l who has abused h i s a u t h o r i t y should be s e v e r e l y punished i n accordance w i t h the c u r r e n t p r a c t i c e , i n i t i a t e d a t the beginning of 1988; (g) Speedy r a t i f i c a t i o n of t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Covenants on Human Rights and of the United Nations Convention a g a i n s t T o r t u r e and Other C r u e l , Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment would be a meaningful c o n t r i b u t i o n t o the p r e v e n t i o n and s u p p r e s s i o n of t o r t u r e . C. !• V i s i t t o Turkey Background; l e g a l and i n s t i t u t i o n a l framework 209. During the l a t t e r p a r t of the 1970s Turkey went through an extremely t u r b u l e n t p e r i o d . Right-wing and l e f t - w i n g f a c t i o n s fought each o t h e r i n an e r u p t i o n of e v e r - i n c r e a s i n g v i o l e n c e , l e a d i n g t o t h e death of more t h a n 5,000 p e o p l e . On 12 September 1980, the armed f o r c e s i n t e r v e n e d and, u n t i l t h e end of 1983, when g e n e r a l e l e c t i o n s were h e l d , Turkey was under m i l i t a r y r u l e , s i n c e t h a t t i m e , c i v i l i a n r u l e has been g r a d u a l l y r e s t o r e d ; i n J u l y 1987, m a r t i a l law was l i f t e d i n the l a s t five p r o v i n c e s where i t had been i n effect. After the m i l i t a r y t a k e - o v e r thousands of people were a r r e s t e d . Although some e s t i m a t e s a r e a s high a s 250,000, the Turkish A s s o c i a t i o n for Human Rights has c e r t i f i e d a t l e a s t 65,000 c a s e s . I t was r e p o r t e d t h a t t h e m a j o r i t y of t h o s e a r r e s t e d were s u b j e c t e d t o t o r t u r e . At the t r i a l s which were h e l d l a t e r , and a r e s t i l l b e i n g h e l d , t h e m a j o r i t y of the accused s t a t e d t h a t t h e i r c o n f e s s i o n s had been e x t r a c t e d by t o r t u r e . 210. When the p r e s e n t Government came i n t o power i n 1983, i t committed i t s e l f t o r e s p e c t and g u a r a n t e e human r i g h t s . On the i n t e r n a t i o n a l l e v e l , i t took some h i g h l y s i g n i f i c a n t s t e p s t o s t r e n g t h e n the p r o t e c t i o n of human r i g h t s . Already a p a r t y t o the 1966 United Nations I n t e r n a t i o n a l Covenants on Human Rights a s w e l l a s t o the European Convention on Human R i g h t s , i t r e c e n t l y r a t i f i e d the United Nations Convention a g a i n s t T o r t u r e and Other C r u e l , Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which e n t e r e d i n t o force for Turkey on 1 September 19 88, and the European Convention for t h e P r e v e n t i o n of T o r t u r e and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. This l a t t e r Convention, concluded i n the c o n t e x t of the Council of Europe, p r o v i d e s for a system of p e r i o d i c v i s i t s by independent e x p e r t s t o a l l p l a c e s of d e t e n t i o n and w i l l enter i n t o f o r c e on 1 February 1989. As s t a t e d by the S p e c i a l Rapporteur i n p r e v i o u s r e p o r t s , such a system of p e r i o d i c v i s i t s i s