Turkey repurposes historic prisons

In July 2026 the Turkish government kept advancing its program to convert unused prison sites into public assets. On 9 July the former prison in Akçakoca, Düzce, began restoration as a library, café and community hub, while a similar structure in Durağan, Sinop, was earmarked for a modern textile production centre targeting women and youth employment. Two weeks later officials announced the former Diyarbakır Prison would become the Diyarbakır Democracy and Memory Center, a museum and cultural complex dedicated to remembering the coup era and promoting democratic values.

Later in the month Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy inspected the Diyarbakır site, confirming that ownership had been transferred from the Justice Ministry and that restoration work begun in 2024 was entering final exhibition preparation for a planned 2025 opening. The centre will host a museum, library, exhibition halls, a theatre and multipurpose rooms operating as a 24‑hour cultural hub.

By 31 July the Akçakoca prison conversion was 30‑40 % complete, with structural reinforcement, a retractable glass roof and landscaping underway, and officials expected the library and social‑life centre to open before year‑end. The snapshots illustrate an expanding, multi‑sectoral effort to turn historic penal facilities into educational, cultural and economic resources for regional communities.