PACE resolution on Turkey’s crackdown against opposition

PACE’s Standing Committee has strongly condemned new crackdowns on political opposition and civil dissent in recent months in Turkey and urged the Turkish authorities to “take meaningful steps” to improve standards in the field of democracy, rule of law and human rights

Letter of MEPs to EP President concerning North-Syria

Following the report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic on war crimes in Northern Syria, 68 MEPs have written a letter to the EP president, demanding to form a special delegation of elected parliamentarians to travel to the regions of the Autonomous Administration of North-East Syria and calling on the Turkish military and their auxiliary forces to end their illegal occupation in North-Syria and retreat from the region.

EUTCC Statement on arrest of HDP politicians
It is not acceptable for a country to attack lawfully elected politicians, steel elections and violate human rights on a daily basis.
The EUTCC urges the European Commission and the Council of Europe to take concrete measures against Turkey immediately.

European Commission 2020 report on Turkey – Key findings

Despite the lifting of the state of emergency in July 2018, the adverse impacts of the two-year long emergency ruling continued to significantly impact on democracy and fundamental rights. The constitutional architecture continued centralising powers at the level of the Presidency without ensuring a sound and effective separation of powers between the executive, legislative and the judiciary. The situation in the south-east continued to be very worrying. Arrests and dismissals of elected mayors and party representatives continued and seriously damaged local democracy.

Statement of Human Rights Watch on crackdown against HDP

“Detaining politicians from a party that won nearly 12 percent of the vote in the 2018 general election is part of the Turkish government’s policy to criminalize political opposition.”

EU Turkey Civic Commission
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Twitter: @EUTCC1
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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. 

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 
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Twitter: @EUTCC1
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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.

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 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

Dear Sir or Madam,

As EU Turkey Civic Commission we are pleased to send you our first newsletter.

From now on we would like to provide you with a monthly newsletter with import information about the EU, Turkey and the Kurds.

You can also find current information about these topic on our homepage and Social Media channels.

We are looking forward to a more intensiv exchange.

Kind regards

EUTCC Board

About the EUTCC

For 16 years, the EU Turkey Civic Commission organised annual international conferences in the European Parliament, focusing on the Kurdish question and democratic processes in Turkey. http://eutcc.net

Letter of MEP’s to HR/VP Josep Borrell

69 MEP’s are calling on HR/VP Josep Borrell for immediate action to stop Turkey’s attacks against peace and democracy, in Kurdistan and everywhere.

Letter of EUTCC to HR/VP Josep Borrell

On the occasion of the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council on 13 July, we sent a letter to HR/VP JosepBorrell to draw the attention to the recent deplorable Turkish disregard for human rights, democracy, and the very rule of domestic/international law.

Democracy Matrix – Turkey declines from deficient democracy to moderate autocracy

The democratic matrix of Germany’s University of Würzburg has classified Turkey as a moderate autocracy, ranking it 140th among 179 countries.

Turkey’s crackdown on political opposition finds a favored target: Elected Kurdish mayors

The appointment of trustees to HDP municipalities as well as detention and arrest of mayors continues. All of 65 municipalities but 10 are taken over. Please find below the interview of Kareem Fahim with HDP mayor of Kars. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/turkeys-erdogan-seeks-to-neuter-the-opposition-ousting-dozens-of-mayors-is-his-latest-move/2020/07/19/b624f574-bfb9-11ea-8908-68a2b9eae9e0_story.html

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