The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe announced its interim decision on the "Gurban Group" file, including the "right to hope" of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, Emin Gurban, Civan Boltan and Hayati Kaytan. The committee, which had previously given Turkey one year to take steps, again gave Turkey until June 2026. 

 

The Committee also referred to the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission established in conjunction with the Peace and Democratic Society Process. Commenting on the Committee's decision, legal experts and representatives of organisations called for its swift consideration by the Parliament. 

 

Ekin Yeter, Co-Chair of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), stated that the Parliamentary Committee should see this call. She criticised the committee for being only an observer and said: "The Committee has not issued a decision equivalent to the warning it made in its previous statement. Because it is also obliged to take the necessary measures for the implementation of the decision. These processes are political, not yet guaranteed."  

 

'DISAPPOINTING'

 

Kerem Canpolat, Co-chair of the MED TUHAD-FED, said that the committee's decision did not meet their expectations and that they expected a clear decision from the committee. 

 

"There is positivity in the discourses but there is no clarity. This is a disappointment. This decision is an adverse decision both for Mr Abdullah Öcalan and for the hundreds of prisoners sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment," he said.  

 

Canpolat added that the verdict is a disappointment for both those who have been sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment and their families, and reminded that violations of the "right to hope" have been reported to the committee many times before, and said that all institutions in Europe, Kurdistan and Turkey should take action to implement the verdict.

 

'QUICK AND EFFECTIVE ACTION MUST BE TAKEN'

 

Abdulkadir Güleç, Chair of the Amed (Diyarbakır) Bar Association, stated that the recommendations and decisions of the committee were positive, although not sufficient. 

 

Güleç added: "The committee wants the requirements of the ECtHR judgement to be fulfilled quickly. In this sense, it also refers to the resolution commission established in the Parliament and the Parliament. What the parties involved should do is to fulfil the requirements of this judgement and take quick and effective steps. Parliament needs to fulfil its responsibility.  This will contribute to the solution process and pave the way for the process. It will also contribute positively to Mr Öcalan's fulfilment of his role in this process."

 

MA / Rukiye Payiz Adıgüzel