Newsletter 08/2020

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 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

Newsletter 07/2020

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