ISTANBUL — Human rights defender, Eren Keskin, criticized the parliamentary commission report released on February 20, stating that decisions of the Constitutional Court of Turkey and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) should have been implemented immediately when the report was announced.

 

Eren Keskin said it was important that Parliament had taken up the issue but argued that the report did not meet the expectations of the democratic public. “This is a report that does not evaluate the state’s own human rights violations or crimes. Instead, it is constructed entirely on accusations directed at the Kurdish movement,” she said.

 

‘THE REPORT DOES NOT ADDRESS STATE VIOLATIONS’

 

Eren Keskin stressed that political concerns were overly dominant in the report. “Years ago, even members of the government acknowledged the state’s unresolved policies regarding the Kurdish issue. When the current government came to power, it said the era of ‘white Toros’ vehicles had ended and that such practices would not continue. That itself showed the existence of a Kurdish issue. Yet this report does not examine the state’s own violations and instead focuses on blaming the Kurdish movement,” she stated.

 

Despite these shortcomings, Eren Keskin noted that preparing such a report still carries significance and added: “In a geography where nationalism and racism have been so deeply internalized, the fact that such a report was produced at all is still important.”

 

‘TRADE UNIONS HAVE BEEN INSUFFICIENT IN THE PEACE PROCESS’

 

Erem Keskin also criticized labor organizations for failing to take a stronger stance in favor of peace: “Although workers and laborers suffer the most from war policies, trade unions have not made any notable statements or proposals regarding the peace process.”

 

She pointed out that despite decades of conflict, the working class in Turkey has never carried out a general strike for peace. “These are major short comings. Even the unions have remained very insufficient in this process,” she said.

 

‘TURKEY IS VIOLATING INTERNATIONAL LAW’

 

Eren Keskin emphasized that the rulings of both the Constitutional Court and the ECHR are binding but continue to be ignored. “It's ironic that the state says ‘the law should be applied.’ As if someone else is preventing it. The problem is exactly that these decisions are not being implemented,” she said.

 

Referring to imprisoned political figures such as Selahattin Demirtaş, Figen Yüksekdağ, and Osman Kavala, Eren Keskin questioned why they remain in prison despite court rulings. “In my view, one hour after the parliamentary report was announced, all Constitutional Court and ECHR rulings should have been implemented immediately. There is no obstacle preventing this. On the contrary, the state is obligated to enforce them,” she said.

 

‘THE RIGHT TO HOPE IS A LEGAL OBLIGATION’

 

Eren Keskin also criticized how the “right to hope” is debated as if it were a concession rather than a legal requirement. Referring to the case of Abdullah Öcalan, she noted that Turkey has already been condemned by the ECHR. “The ECHR states that if a person has served more than 25 years, there must be a legal arrangement ensuring the right to hope. This is not optional — it is an obligation for Turkey,” she said.

 

‘WHO RUNS İMRALI PRISON IS UNCLEAR’

 

Eren Keskin also commented on the conditions in İmralı Prison, recalling her experience as one of Öcalan’s first lawyers. “When Öcalan was first brought to İmralı Island, there was already isolation. Even at that time, it was unclear who actually controlled the prison. When we asked the prosecutor who was responsible for its administration, he replied: ‘I don’t know either.’ That shows the level of legal irregularity,” she said.

 

‘STEPS ARE NEEDED TO CONVINCE THE DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION’

 

Eren Keskin questioned whether the Turkish state truly has the will to resolve the issue and emphasized the need for concrete steps to build trust among democratic opposition groups, particularly the Kurdish population. She listed several measures that should be taken, including the release of political prisoners, the abolition of anti-terror legislation, reform of execution laws, and policies aligned with international human rights conventions. Eren Keskin concluded: “If real peace is intended, anti-democratic provisions in laws must be amended, and all barriers to freedom of expression and organization must be removed.”