Turkey admits 15 persons tortured to death in jail

Turkey's military-backed government admitted 15 people have been tortured to death in Turkish jails since the military takeover in September 1980. It was the first time the government has confirmed that any widespread torture existed.

A statement said out of a list of 62 alleged torture deaths compiled by the human rights group Amnesty International, ''the allegation proved accurate in 15 cases.''