The Kurdish Democratic Societies Congress in Europe (KCDK-E) released a statement regarding the provisional decision made by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers during its meeting on human rights from September 15 to 17. The Committee, which had given Turkey one year to implement the “Right to Hope” in the case of Abdullah Öcalan, Hayati Kaytan, Emin Gurban, and Civan Boltan in its 2024 meeting, gave Turkey another deadline and requested information by the end of June 2026. The Committee referred to the Peace and Democratic Society Process and suggested making use of the “terror-free Turkey” initiative and the recently established “National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission”.
KCDK-E stated that the Turkish state disregards international law and fails to take the necessary steps, emphasizing that the Committee’s “lack of a decisive and principled stance” provides grounds for this lawlessness.
“The right to hope is an inalienable, fundamental right that stems from the protection of human dignity. It encompasses the possibility that individuals sentenced to life imprisonment may one day be released. In this context, legal changes must be made immediately, and prisoners such as Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan], among others, should benefit from this right,” the statement said.
Remarking that the Committee has so far limited itself to granting Turkey time but has not initiated a concrete infringement procedure, KCDK-E said, “The Committee has chosen to opt for a warning approach towards Turkey rather than taking legal action. However, the process must be grounded in a legal framework.”
The statement emphasized that Öcalan’s freedom is a prerequisite for peace in the Middle East, saying, “Leader Apo must be provided with proper conditions of health, security, and freedom to conduct negotiations. The right to hope is a fundamental, legal, and legitimate right.”
KCDK-E reiterated its call to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers: “We demand that the Committee review its suspensive approach and decision and urgently initiate the violation procedure. Leader Apo, the will of millions, the beacon of hope for the peoples of the world, and the guarantee of peace in the Middle East, must be freed and allowed to work freely. The conditions for this must be met immediately.”
The statement concluded with the following call: “We call on our people to mobilize all their resources to secure Leader Apo’s physical freedom until results are achieved, and to resolutely intensify the struggle to ensure that all necessary efforts are made to this end.”