Author: EutccAdmin

Newsletter 09/2020

EutccAdmin

Statement on the ECtHR President’s honorary doctorate
We published a statement on the honorary doctorate the ECtHR President Robert Spano received from İstanbul University during his visit to Turkey: The EUTCC strongly dissociates itself from the fact that the President of the European Court of Human Rights receives an honorary doctorate from a member state that largely violates human rights. The EUTCC takes this occasion to remind all those who champion the cause of human rights about its perilous condition today in Turkey. 
http://eutcc.net/?p=402

Resolution of the European Parliament on Turkey in the context of the Eastern Mediterranean conflict 

Resolution of the European Parliament on the preparation of the special European Council Summit on the dangerous escalation and the role of Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean: The EP condemns Turkey’s illegal activities in the continental shelf/EEZ of Greece and Cyprus, which violate the sovereign rights of EU Member States and expresses its full solidarity with Greece and Cyprus; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes and to refrain from any unilateral and illegal action or threat, as that could have a negative impact on good neighbourly relations. The EP xpresses serious concerns about the current state of EU-Turkey relations, mainly regarding the dire human rights situation in Turkey and the erosion of democracy and the rule of law; underlines the past and present negative impacts of Turkey’s unilateral foreign policy initiatives in the wider region. 

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2020-0230_EN.html

Report of UN Syria Commission on Syria
The UN Syria Commission released a report on Syria. The report lists war crimes committed in the areas under Turkish occupation (in both the Afrin and Ra’s al-Ayn regions): pillage, hostage-taking, unlawful deportation, cruel treatment, torture and rape. 
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=26237&LangID=E

Call of Chief of UN Human Rights to Turkey

Michelle Bachelet, Chief of UN Human Rights, calls on Turkey to respect international law and halt violations committed by armed groups under Turkey’s control, including killings, kidnapping, forcible evictions, seizures of land and unlawful transfers. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26258&LangID=E

Statement on Turkish Intelligence Organisation’s plans to attack Austrian politicians 
We published a statement on Turkish Intelligence Organisation’s plans to attack Austrian politicians. It was revealed that an agent of the Turkish Intelligence Organisation (MIT) had turned himself in to the Austrian intelligence service where he reported on plans to attack Austrian politicians criticising the policies of the Turkish government. Among those affected are former members of Austrian Parliament Berivan Aslan and Peter Pilz as well as S&D MEP Andreas Schieder. The EUTCC express solidarity with all affected. 
http://eutcc.net/?p=405

HDP statement on wave of arrest
Statement by Peoples’ Democratic Party HDP on wave of arrest against the HDP on 25 September. As part of an investigation carried out by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s office, detention warrants have been issued against 82 people, mostly HDP politicians/officials. 
https://hdpeurope.eu/2020/09/82-more-arrests-the-onslaught-on-the-hdp-continues-unabashedly/

EU Turkey Civic Commission 
www.eutcc.net
Twitter: @EUTCC1
Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission

EUTCC statement on MIT

EutccAdmin

EUTCC statement on Turkish Intelligence Organisation’s plans to attack Austrian politicians.

It was revealed yesterday that an agent of the Turkish Intelligence Organisation (MIT) had turned himself in to the Austrian intelligence service where he reported on plans to attack Austrian politicians criticising the policies of the Turkish government. Among those affected are former members of Austrian Parliament Berivan Aslan and Peter Pilz as well as S&D MEP Andreas Schieder.

Ms. Aslan, who has been a moderator at EUTCC’s annual conference in the European Parliament, and Mr. Pilz, revealed some time ago how the Turkish Intelligence Organisation had set up a network of MIT agents in different parts of Austria.

Mr. Schieder is among others foreign policy spokesperson and a board member of the Kurdish Friendship Group in the European Parliament. He follows closely, and critically the developments around the EU, Turkey, the Middle East and the Kurds which are central issues in the EUTCC conferences in the European Parliament. Mr. Schieder clearly shows his solidarity with democratic forces in the region, especially with the Peoples’ Democratic Party HDP.

Numerous political killings of Kurds in Europe, like the assassination of three Kurdish female politicians Fidan Dogan, Sakine Cansiz and Leyla Saylemez in Paris in 2013, show that the attack plans on politicians in Austria are to be taken seriously.

European states and institutions, above all the European Commission and the Council of Europe, must send a clear signal to Turkey. They have to protect their own politicians, show solidarity with the democratic forces in the region and take concrete and effective measures to stop the activities of the Turkish Intelligence Organisation in Europe.

The EUTCC express solidarity with all affected, in particular Mr. Andreas Schieder, a cooperation partner of the EUTCC Conference.

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

EUTCC statement on MIT

EUTCC STATEMENT ON ECtHR PRESIDENT

EutccAdmin

Robert Spano, the president of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), received an honorary doctorate from Istanbul University on September 4, 2020. This occurred at a time when various bodies of the Council of Europe have noted that human rights are under tremendous challenges in Turkey. For example, the Venice Commission, Commissioner for Human Rights and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, among others, recently have noted how Turkey has blatantly violated principles upon which the ECtHR was constructed. This includes matters from arbitrary arrest, disposition and replacement of elected local mayors by government appointed trustees, Internet censorship, and vaguely worded anti-terrorism legislation purging thousands of academics, also from Istanbul University, without the right of defense, among many other egregious examples negatively affecting the rule of law.

It is not unusual that the President of ECtHR and representatives of the court visit member countries from time to time. Such delegations are usually considered as diplomatic representation. The President travels with one or more other leaders and someone from the registrar unit. The purpose will usually be to discuss the court’s decisions compared to the legal situation in that country and how it can be improved. Such visits are considered ordinary diplomatic courtesy. While the President of ECtHR has the obvious right to visit any country he wishes, it is highly inappropriate that he accepts an honorary doctorate in law from Istanbul University. In this way Mr. Spano turned a promising meeting in Turkey into a scandal.

By granting the honorary degree to Mr. Spano, Turkey obviously thought it could use the occasion to try to silence critics of its atrocious human rights record. The fact that Mr. Spano did not decline the honorary doctorate will definitely be interpreted as a sign of legitimization of human rights violations taking place in Turkey under the current President’s rule. The ECtHR means hope to those people who suffer from human rights violations in their home countries. By accepting the honorary doctorate, in itself a scandalous and totally unnecessary gesture, President Spano also accepts the gross and repeated violations of human rights taking place on a daily basis in Turkey. Mr. Spano is naive if he seriously thinks that the honorary doctorate will provide him with a voice that Turkey will listen to. On the contrary, Turkey see it as a triumph to have the very president of the human rights court in its pocket. The question is whom the President of ECtHR primarily should serve? The abuser or the victim? By accepting the honorary doctorate, Mr. Spano chooses the party that is responsible for the suffering.

The EUTCC strongly dissociates itself from the fact that the President of the European Court of Human Rights receives an honorary doctorate from a member state that largely violates human rights. The
EUTCC takes this occasion to remind all those who champion the cause of human rights about its perilous condition today in Turkey.

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

Newsletter 08/2020

EutccAdmin

CPT report on Turkey, including Imrali prison

Council of Europe anti-torture Committee CPT published 2 reports on Turkey, including Imrali prison where Kurdish political leader Abdullah Öcalan has been imprisoned since 1999. The CPT notes that the situation regarding the prisoners’ regime in Imrali had not improved at all since the CPT’s 2016 visit. All prisoners were being held in solitary confinement for most of the time. No visits by lawyers had been granted since July 2011 and that hardly any visits by family members had taken place since October 2014. In the Committee’s view, such a state of affairs is not acceptable and clearly contravenes various relevant international human rights instruments and standards.

https://www.coe.int/en/web/cpt/-/council-of-europe-anti-torture-committee-publishes-two-reports-on-turkey

EUTCC statement on CPT reports

The EUTCC agrees with CPT’s findings and will refer to these reports in order to refocus attention to some aspects that are not only relevant for human rights in general, but also in the context of a political solution to the Kurdish question and democratization of Turkey in particular.

Full statement:

EUTCC statement on CPT reports

EUTCC letter to HR/VP Josep Borrell

On the occasion of the infomal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Berlin at the end of August, where relations with Turkey are on the agenda, we sent a letter to HR/VP Josep Borrell to draw the attention to the need for effective measures to counter the damaging policy of Turkey.

Full statement:
http://eutcc.net/?p=390

EU Turkey Civic Commission
www.eutcc.net
Twitter: @EUTCC1
Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission

EUTCC: Letter to HR/VP Josep Borrell II

EutccAdmin

On the occasion of the infomal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Berlin at the end of August, where relations with Turkey are on the agenda, we sent a letter to HR/VP Josep Borrell to draw the attention to the need for effective measures to counter the damaging policy of Turkey.

August 15 2020

Joseph Borrell
HR/VP of the European Commission
Rue de la loi 200 / Wetstraat 200
1040 Brussels, Belgium

Dear Mr. Borrell,

Some weeks ago, a meeting was held between the High Representative/ Vice-President of the European Commission and the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and a further meeting is scheduled for the end of this month. Turkey was the central topic at the meeting of EU foreign ministers in July. Before that, July 7, the EUTCC sent a letter to your office in which we respectfully hoped to draw your attention to the recent deplorable Turkish disregard for human rights, democracy and international law. With reference to the forthcoming meeting, we would like to make some recommendations for action.

In addition to increasing military activities in the Eastern Mediterranean and in Libya, as well as interventions in the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Turkey has intensified its attacks on the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq, contrary to international law. These have cost the lives of numerous civilians. Turkey is also militarily active in northern and eastern Syria, both directly and through jihadist militias. Compliance with international law must be enforced here as a matter of urgency. The European Union’s support and recognition of the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria, which is characterized by grassroots democracy, gender equality and ethnic and religious pluralism, would be an important step towards peace in the region.

However, peace is not possible without a political solution to the Kurdish question in Turkey. Here, the European Union can and should play a key role. In talks with members of the Turkish Government, this important aspect needs to be given greater weight. A peaceful solution to the Kurdish question is directly linked to the democratization of Turkey. In addition to dialogue with the government, an exchange with the democratic opposition is indispensable, especially The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which is massively affected by state repression. It is unacceptable that dozens of elected officials and hundreds of HDP functionaries are imprisoned and that elected officials are dismissed on a daily basis.

The issue of refugees also plays a key role in relations with Turkey. In the context of the European Union’s priority of combating the causes of flight, the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria is a reliable partner in the region.

The EUTCC urges the High Representative/Vice-President of the European Commission, the European Union to use power by taking effective measures to counter the damaging policy of Turkey. We do not call for an end to dialogue but using that dialogue in a more focused manner in accordance with democratic values.
Respectfully yours,

Kariane Westrheim, Chairperson

Dersim Dagdeviren, Board Member

EU Turkey Civic Commission
www.eutcc.net
Twitter: @EUTCC1
Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission