The planned release from prison of Kurdish politician Melike Göksu, former co-mayor of the Karayazı district of Erzurum, has been postponed once again.
Göksu was elected in 2019 as a candidate for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). Just a few months later, in September 2019, she was arrested and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for alleged membership of a “terrorist organization.”
Despite having served three-quarters of her sentence, Göksu’s release from Sincan Women’s Prison in Ankara has now been blocked for the third time. The reason given is that Göksu refused to attend the hearing before the Management and Supervisory Board.
Since a reform of prison laws in 2021, administrative committees in Turkish prisons have been granted far-reaching powers. They can block releases even when the prison term has expired, citing “lack of remorse,” “negative behavior,” or refusal to attend board hearing.
The decision particularly affects political prisoners. The Kurdish opposition criticizes the procedure as an arbitrary means of pressure to keep opposition politicians in prison beyond their actual sentence.
The extension that has now been ordered is for six months, meaning that release will not be possible until the second half of 2026 at the earliest. If the board still does not find that she is “cooperating,” Göksu’s release may be delayed further.