In a broad-based initiative, the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) has called on the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to finally decide on the long-debated issue of the “right to hope” in the case of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan. The next meeting of the committee monitoring the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) will take place from September 16 to 18.
Since the end of August, the KNK, together with numerous supporters, has been sending letters to the permanent representatives of the member states and to the chair of the Committee of Ministers. In the letters, they demand that the committee fulfill its responsibility and finally make a decision—in view of the serious violations of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECtHR), which prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment.
ECHR ruling obliges Turkey
In 2014, the ECtHR ruled that the practice of imposing life sentences without realistic prospects of release, as imposed on Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners in Turkey, violates the ECHR. This led to the so-called “right to hope” – the obligation to allow for the possibility of review and possible release even in cases of life imprisonment.
The KNK emphasizes that Turkey has not yet made any legal changes to comply with the ruling, despite requests from the Council of Europe. On the contrary, an “action plan” presented by the Turkish state has made it clear that Öcalan and others affected are to be expressly denied this right.
International support
The KNK’s initiative is supported by numerous international parties, trade unions, and civil society organizations. Together, they are calling on the Council of Europe to issue a reminder to Turkey to implement the ECtHR ruling. Otherwise, they fear, confidence in the Council of Europe’s human rights standards will continue to erode.
Peace process in limbo
The KNK’s letters also emphasize the political significance of Abdullah Öcalan. Despite spending more than two decades in solitary confinement on the prison island of Imrali, the PKK founder has “repeatedly taken steps toward peace.” Particular emphasis is placed on his role as a key figure in a possible democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish question in Turkey.
“The recognition of Abdullah Öcalan as a legitimate negotiating partner is essential for any realistic prospect of peace,” says the KNK, noting that a positive decision by the Committee of Ministers could make a decisive contribution to political openness in Turkey.
The KNK therefore calls on the Council of Europe to play an active and positive role in this process: “The Committee has a duty to compel Turkey to comply with minimum human rights standards. At the same time, it should recognize that a solution to the Kurdish question is inconceivable without Abdullah Öcalan.”