ISTANBUL - In a letter to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the EUTCC urged Turkey to take immediate action to implement the "right to hope" judgement.

 

The EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) has sent a letter to the President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Council of Europe country representatives, the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and its permanent representatives on the "right to hope" resolution. 

 

The letter referred to Turkey's latest action plan submitted to the Committee and reminded the Committee of its position that Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners are exempted from the right to hope. 

 

The letter, signed by Prof. Kariane Westrheim, President of the EUTCC, stated that not only for Abdullah Öcalan's individual rights but also for the solution of the Kurdish issue, the "right to hope" decision must be implemented.

 

In particular, the letter to Ragnhildur Arnlijótsdóttir, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the Council of Europe, reads as follows: "The EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) is addressing you regarding the “right to hope”, one of the Council of Europe's most important principles, in the context of Turkey.

 

Following the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights in March 2014, which ruled that life sentences without the possibility of release violate Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights prohibiting inhuman or degrading treatment, you referred at your meeting in September 2024 to the obligation to implement this judgement.

  

In a new action plan submitted to your Committee, Turkey announced that it will not grant the "right to hope" to prisoners sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment, including Abdullah Öcalan.  

 

This is highly problematic and unacceptable. Turkey is a member of the Council of Europe and an accession candidate to the European Union. It is obliged to implement judgements of the European Court of Human Rights.

 

As no concrete progress has been achieved in implementation of the ECtHR judgment, we call on the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to take immediate action in accordance with the decisions of its meeting in September 2024 to ensure that Turkey fulfils its obligation without any delay.

 

The implementation of the legal principle of hope is not only necessary with regard to the individual rights of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan, but also regarding peace-building measures in the context of the dialogue between the Turkish state and Abdullah Öcalan for a political solution to the Kurdish question and thus the democratisation of the country."