Within the framework of the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Kurdish question has once again been raised at the international level. At a conference titled “Minority Rights: The Situation in Turkey and Syria,” legal experts accused Turkey of systematically disregarding its international obligations.
The event was organized by the Movement Against Racism and for Friendship Between Peoples (MRAP) and moderated by the organization’s permanent UN representative, Gianfranco Fattorini. Among the speakers were the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Nicolas Levrat, Italian human rights lawyer Eleonora Scala, and British jurist Stephen C. Knight.
UN Special Rapporteur: Turkey must comply with treaties
Nicolas Levrat emphasized that ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities are entitled under international law to the protection of their identity. The central legal basis, he noted, is Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This provision guarantees minorities the right to enjoy their culture, speak their language, and practice their religion — and is binding on all state parties.
Both Turkey and Syria are parties to the relevant international agreements, Levrat emphasized. Nevertheless, he said, Turkey continues to interpret the concept of minorities restrictively within the framework of the Treaty of Lausanne and in practice officially recognizes only non-Muslim communities. As a result, Kurds and other ethnic groups are excluded from minority protection guaranteed under international law. Levrat also referred to obligations arising from the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) as well as to mechanisms of the Council of Europe. Turkey must ensure compliance with its obligations in the areas of anti-discrimination, language rights, and effective legal remedies, he demanded.
Criticism of the treatment of Öcalan and political imprisonment
Italian lawyer Eleonora Scala addressed the process for “peace and democratic society” initiated by Abdullah Öcalan. “Despite repeated initiatives from the Kurdish side aimed at resolving the Kurdistan question, confidence-building measures by the government in Ankara have been lacking. Öcalan continues to conduct the process under conditions of isolation on the prison island of Imrali,” Scala stated.
The lawyer pointed out that several rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), including decisions concerning the “right to hope,” remain unimplemented. Although this right guarantees a realistic prospect of sentence review and release, Turkey refuses to apply it in practice, Scala said and noted that thousands of political prisoners remain in detention. The failure to implement international court rulings undermines the credibility of rule-of-law commitments, she added.
Allegations concerning Rojava: Violations of international humanitarian law
British jurist Stephen C. Knight focused on Rojava and the Autonomous Administration in northeastern Syria. He drew attention to documented human rights violations in the context of attacks allegedly carried out by Turkey-backed troops and militias of the Syrian transitional government. “Reports include arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, disproportionate violence against civilians, looting, and forced displacement. Such acts violate international humanitarian law, which guarantees the protection of the civilian population.” Knight called for independent investigative mechanisms and international accountability for the violations committed. The international community, he stressed, must significantly strengthen its monitoring and oversight mechanisms.
The conference made clear that the Kurdistan question remains an issue at the international level. While representatives of Ankara regularly invoke security arguments, human rights experts call for the consistent implementation of international legal obligations and a political solution based on international standards.
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