At its 1507th meeting on 17-19 September 2024, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe dealt with Turkey’s implementation of the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights with regard to aggravated life imprisonment.
The Committee recalled the violation judgements of the ECHR on aggravated life imprisonment in 2014. It expressed deep concern that no progress has been achieved to this end and strongly urged the authorities to take the necessary measures without further delay. The Committee decided to resume its examination at its September 2025 meeting, and in view of the long standing nature of the issue and lack of progress revealed by the available information, instructed the Secretariat to prepare a draft interim resolution for its consideration, if no concrete progress allowing for a more positive assessment has been achieved by then.
This decision is completely inadequate. Turkey has once again refused to implement the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. This should have had immediate consequences, especially in order to emphasise the value/status of its own institution, the ECHR and the CPT.
Turkey has been given the de facto green light to continue the total isolation on the prison island of İmralı, where Kurdish political leader Abdullah Öcalan is also being held. For more than three years, there has been no access to the detainees there.
The continuation of isolation deepens the conflicts and wars in the region and prevents the urgently needed democratisation of Turkey. Peace requires dialogue with Mr. Öcalan.
We urge the Committee of Ministers to put pressure on Turkey to implement the demands – a review mechanism for everyone in the light of the standard set out by the ECHR and the adoption of legislative measures to secure a mechanism with the possibility of release – urgently and to use all available mechanisms for this.
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EU Turkey Civic Commission
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