I think GP knows that. The name is uncomfortable and it's honest. Which... kinda says something about the people using it for scientific research.
edit: I see that wearywanderer explained what I mean as a sibling, that’s why I think GP didn’t get precisely what the MT was and how it was operated
Do you have a source for that assertion? As far as I can tell, several of the chess players known to have operated the Turk had substance abuse (chiefly alcoholism), health, and money problems (the words 'debt', 'penniless', and 'destitute' come up a few times). While not proof of abuse, it does suggest a strategy of recruiting the vulnerable.
I understand what you mean if we judge it from modern western standards, but I don’t agree if we judge it by the standards of that era.
It’s all a matter of context IMHO.