SÊRT - Kenan Bilge, a DEM Party member and lawyer, stated that Turkey should implement the "right to hope" ruling, saying, "The Council of Europe should take a firm stance against Turkey’s failure to implement its decisions.”

 

The 2014 European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment finding a violation of Kurdish Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s “right to hope” remains unimplemented despite recommendations by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Kenan Bilge, Co-Chair of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) in Sêrt and former president of the Sêrt Bar Association, commented on the “right to hope”, which is a key issue in the ongoing Peace and Democratic Society Process. 

 

Bilge said that the "right to hope" ruling, a principle recognized under contemporary legal norms, has remained unimplemented for 12 years, and that no steps have been taken despite decisions of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which was notified of the matter. Bilge also added that Turkey has reached a point where it disregards both domestic and international law. 

 

LEGAL STATUS 

 

Stressing that Turkey urgently needs to introduce legislation on the “right to hope”, Bilge said: “One of the fundamental conditions for the Peace and Democratic Society Process to move forward is the determination of Mr. Öcalan’s status. At this stage, recognizing the ‘right to hope’ alone will not be sufficient. Mr. Öcalan’s legal status must also be clearly clarified. The ‘right to hope’ is not only about Mr. Öcalan; it is a regulation concerning prisoners in general and affects more than 3,000 convicted prisoners. Therefore, its immediate enactment for both Mr. Öcalan and the other prisoners is both a legal and a social necessity.”

 

FRAMEWORK LAW

 

Bilge also commented on the “framework law”, which has been widely discussed in recent days and is expected to be submitted to Parliament for adoption. Bilge said: “Mr. Öcalan, as the chief negotiator, should be provided with the conditions necessary to conduct this process under normal circumstances. When Nelson Mandela’s situation is compared with that of Mr. Öcalan, during South Africa’s peace process, no progress could be made in the negotiations until Nelson Mandela was provided with proper working conditions. We can say that a similar situation applies to Mr. Öcalan. If the state is conducting this process with Mr. Öcalan, then it must also clarify his legal status.”

 

Bilge noted that Turkey is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and is bound by the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), adding that these obligations are also enshrined in the country constitution. Bilge said: “Unless these laws are implemented, we will continue to face many of the problems we are experiencing today. The Council of Europe should take a firm stance against Turkey’s failure to implement its decisions. In this regard, we call on the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to take effective measures to compel Turkey to introduce the necessary legal reforms.”