TEHRAN Iranian nationals in Turkey, especially in Istanbul are arrested and tortured by the police, according to IRNA. The Turkish police violent treatment of the Iranian nationals come following the recent developments in relations between the two countries. An official in Iranian Consulate in Istanbul told IRNA Saturday that every day tens of Iranians come to the consulate complaining against the Turkish police mistreatment.

He added that the Turkish police arrest and beat Iranian nationals under false accusations without investigation. The official said after the Iranian nationals are proved innocent by the Turkish judicial authorities, the police keeps the detainees in prison under deplorable conditions until the scares caused by torture are recovered, thus averting disclosure of thei He said that according to the announcement of the Turkish judicial officials and the existing documents over 99 percent of the Iranians arrested and tortured have proved to be innocent.

The official cited for example an Iranian businessman destined for Singapore who was taken out of the airplane by Turkish police at the airport in Istanbul in a violent way and detained and tortured for 20 days. He further said that the Turkish police has even mistreated in a number of cases the staff of the consulate and the Iranian government officials sent to Turkey on official mission.

According to the official, despite official protest against the Turkish mistreatments, no improvement has been observed in their behavior, especially those at Istanbul airport. The Iranian businessman Siamak Nouri who had been detained illegally by Turkish police at the Istanbul Airport and kept for 20 days told IRNA how he had been tortured and called on Iranian government to follow up his complaint against the Turkish police.

Nouri was released after the charges levelled against him by Turkish police proved by Turkey's judicial officials to be false and unfounded.