11.   The government has ruled out a return to the old prison system, saying that large wards became virtual training centers for underground groups.

12.   The government said it needed to break up the large wards that were run like indoctrination centers.

13.   The government says that the large wards became virtual training camps for militants.

14.   The government wants to break up large wards, which it cannot control and where riots and hostage-takings are frequent.

15.   The strike started as Turkey began incarcerating prisoners in cells containing one or three inmates instead of large wards.

16.   Turk has ruled out a return to the system of large wards which the government says had effectively become training camps for Kurdish, Islamic and leftist groups.

17.   Voters in large urban wards were still casting ballots late into the night.