“You sleep with the devil; you wake up in hell!”: On the new EU-Turkey Deal
Executive summary: Right from the start in 2016, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Amnesty International challenged the legitimacy of the so-called refugee deal between Turkey and the EU. Toward the end of 2020, the EU concluded another agreement with Turkey as part of the €6 billion in funding covered by the refugee deal, in spite of Turkey’s deteriorating human rights record. Against a backdrop of Turkey’s weaponizing of refugees against Europe and Europe’s treatment of the refugee issue as a local problem, the European border and coast guard organization Frontex has been practicing illegal pushbacks. It is clear that once you toy with the devil, you cannot escape hell.
EUTCC Letter to the President of the European Council On the occasion of European Council’s meeting on 25 and 26 March we addressed a letter to EUCO President Charles Michel regarding the developments in Turkey http://eutcc.net/?p=584
EUTCC Statement on Abdullah Öcalan On 14 March allegations were shared on social media regarding the life of Kurdish political leader Abdullah Öcalan. The EUTCC urges the Turkish government to enable regularly visits by his attorneys and family.http://eutcc.net/?p=575
UN Human Rights Office Press Briefing Notes on Turkey UN Human Rights calls on Turkey to reverse decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention on combatting all forms of violence against women. The move highlights wider concerns, notably shrinking civic space and lack of democratic participation in decision making. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26934&LangID=E
EUTCC Interview on PPT Interview in German about the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal on Turkey and the KurdsSpeakers: Prof. Dr. Norman Paech, International Lawyer, Heike Geisweid, Co-Chair of Association for Democracy and International Law (Maf-Dad) Moderator: Besra Güler, Maf-Dad board member https://youtu.be/EJBM5c-SBSQ
Dear Mr. President, The EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) sent a letter to you in December 2020 to draw attention to the serious irregularities in Turkey regarding democratic principles, the rule of law and international law. The European institutions, including you as President of the European Council, had repeatedly expressed concerns about this. A few weeks ago, hope raised up in Europe when Erdogan announced a human rights action plan. However, the past few days have shown that Turkey has turned its back on the mentioned principles: Please allow us to mention some examples of these irregularities: Despite allegations that Kurdish political leader Abdullah Ocalan has died in Imrali prison, his lawyers and family are still denied visits even if Mr. Ocalan’s solitary confinement has always been criticized by the CPT. Further, the HDP MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu has recently been stripped of his mandate and a banning proceeding has been initiated against the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the third largest party in the Turkish Parliament, and Turkey has withdrawn from the İstanbul Convention. The rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, e.g., the cases of the Human Rights defender, Mr. Osman Kavala and HDP co-president Mr. Selahattin Demirtaş in 2019, are still awaiting implementation, which is contrary to the statutes of the Council of Europe. The expansive foreign policy, contrary to international law, also continues. Turkey repeatedly attacks northern Syria and northern Iraq without any interferences from the international community or NATO. The EUTCC therefore consider it essential that effective measures are taken against Turkey. Democracy, the rule of law and international law are non-negotiable. Effective measures do not mean an end to dialogue, but it underlines the determination to defend the mentioned principles:A halt to all arm exports, a rethinking of the refugee agreement and the suspension of the Customs Union Agreement between Turkey and the European Union are important first steps. An important prerequisite for democracy in Turkey and peace in the Middle East – as always sought by Europe – is a political solution to the Kurdish question. A European Union initiative in this regard is therefore not only advisable, but necessary. 22 March 2021 Yours sincerely Prof. Dr. Kariane Westrheim On behalf of the EUTCC board
EU Turkey Civic Commission www.eutcc.net Twitter: @EUTCC1 Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission
On 14 March allegations were shared on social media regarding the life of Kurdish political leader Abdullah Öcalan. Asrin Law Office released a written statement demanding to create communication channels that will end the state of isolation in Imrali that constitutes maltreatment and applied to the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Justice for urgent visit. There has been no response yet. The last visit of attorneys was in August 2017, the first and last phone call in April 2020. His family is also denied visits. Speaking about the allegations on social media Öcalan’s brother Mehmet Öcalan said they were not able to see him for a year now and added: “We are concerned. The government is responsible.” In its last report, published in 2020, the CPT again referred to Öcalan’s solitary confinement and in addition criticised that all prisoners in İmralı continued to be denied visits by their lawyers and family members.
In its final resolutions, the EUTCC annual conferences in the European Parliament have called upon the EU member states, European institutions, especially the Council of Europe and the CPT, and the United Nations to take diplomatic, political and legal measures to compel Turkey to comply with international law concerning the ongoing isolation of Abdullah Öcalan as a basis for democratic processes in Turkey and a peaceful solution to the Kurdish question. The EUTCC urges the Turkish government to enable regularly visits by his attorneys and family. Furthermore, the EUTCC demands Mr. Öcalan’s immediate release and a return to dialogue for a political solution to the Kurdish question which is essential to achieve peace, democracy, and freedom not only in Turkey, but in the entire Middle East. 16 March 2021
On behalf of the EUTCC board Kariane Westrheim, Chairperson Dersim Dağdeviren, board member
EU Turkey Civic Commission www.eutcc.net Twitter: @EUTCC1 Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission
EU External Affairs Spokespersons on political crackdown against HDP Statement by spokesperson for the external affairs of the EU Peter Stano on the ongoing actions against the members of Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP)
MIT’s involvement in Paris murdersIn 2013, three Kurdish politicians were murdered in Paris. Former head of General Staff’s intelligence department, Ismail Pekin, blurted out involvement of Turkish Intelligence Organisation (MIT) and demanded targeted liquidations of Kurdish politicians in a TV broadcast: “They also have their elements in Europe. We have to do something in this direction in Europe. I mean, it was already done once in Paris …”
EUTCC interview about the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal on Turkey and the KurdsSpeakers: Mr Philippe Texier, PPT President, France, & Mr Gianni Tognoni, PPT Secretary-General, ItalyModeration: Fréderike Geerdink, journalist, Netherlands https://youtu.be/bwzpq3AKLdA
