Abdullah Tirpan Dies After Leg Amputation, Renewing Prison Health Debate

Abdullah Tirpan’s Death in Custody Raises Questions Over Medical Care

Abdullah Tirpan, a 73-year-old former butcher from Tekirdag, died on October 26 after his health deteriorated following a below-the-knee amputation. Tirpan had been serving a prison sentence at Istanbul’s Metris R-Type Prison. His family and human rights organizations had called for his release on medical grounds, while official medical assessments had repeatedly found no medical obstacle to his continued imprisonment.

A Lifetime in the Meat Trade

Born on April 18, 1953, Tirpan ran his family business, Tırpan Et, in Tekirdag for approximately 55 years. He worked as a butcher and produced meat products, including meatballs and sucuk, a traditional Turkish sausage. He was the father of five children.

On August 8, 2019, the Tekirdag 3rd High Criminal Court sentenced Tirpan to seven years and six months in prison for membership in an armed terrorist organization over alleged links to the Gülen movement. Turkey’s Court of Cassation upheld the conviction unanimously on March 7, 2022.

The evidence cited in the case reportedly included shares in a private school company, the transfer of a building for use as student accommodation, attendance at religious discussion meetings, charitable donations, a subscription to the now-defunct Zaman newspaper, a Bank Asya account and his children’s enrollment in certain private schools.

Tirpan was first detained on August 16, 2016. After his conviction became final, he returned to prison on February 26, 2025, to serve his sentence at Metris R-Type Prison in Istanbul.

Gangrene Led to Leg Amputation

Tirpan suffered from several chronic conditions, including advanced diabetes, hypertension, diabetic neuropathy and vascular disease. He also reportedly had severe narrowing of blood vessels in his brain.

His condition deteriorated while he was in prison. Gangrene and open wounds developed on his left leg, and he relied on a wheelchair. Reports indicated that he struggled to stand and manage basic daily activities independently.

Medical assessments issued in December 2025 and May and June 2026 concluded that he could remain in prison. A further examination in October reportedly reached a similar conclusion. Meanwhile, his family, human rights organizations and some politicians urged authorities to suspend his sentence or release him on medical grounds.

Tirpan was transferred from prison to Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital after his condition worsened. His left leg was amputated below the knee around October 22. He was subsequently admitted to intensive care and placed on a ventilator as his condition became critical.

He died in hospital on October 26, 2026, at the age of 73. His funeral was held in Tekirdag.

Death Renews Debate Over Seriously Ill Prisoners

Tirpan’s death has renewed debate in Turkey over the treatment of elderly and seriously ill prisoners, particularly those seeking the suspension of their sentences on medical grounds.

Human rights groups and several news organizations criticized the failure to secure his release despite repeated appeals concerning his deteriorating health. Official medical assessments, however, had previously concluded that he could remain incarcerated.

The available information does not establish an independent medical or judicial finding that imprisonment directly caused his death. The circumstances have nevertheless intensified calls for greater scrutiny of medical assessments, prison healthcare and the procedures used to evaluate sentence suspension requests.

Editor’s Note | Seriously Ill Prisoners Should Not Be Kept Behind Bars

The death of Abdullah Tirpan has once again raised serious questions about the imprisonment of elderly and seriously ill individuals. When a person suffers from severe medical conditions such as advanced diabetes, gangrene and the loss of a limb, the right to life and human dignity must not be overshadowed by bureaucratic assessments. Justice is not merely about enforcing sentences; it is also about protecting human dignity and the right to life. For prisoners whose health conditions make it increasingly difficult to survive in prison, mechanisms for medical release or the suspension of sentences must function effectively. No one should be forced to choose between access to medical care and the right to life. A state governed by the rule of law demonstrates its strength by protecting the rights of those who are most vulnerable.