AMED - While the AKBK is expected to conclude its discussions on the right to hope regarding Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, Sevda Çelik Özbingöl emphasized that the current political authority must go beyond wishes and good intentions in this process and take concrete steps in line with its legal obligations.

 

In 2014, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that the right to hope of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, who had been held in isolation for over 26 years, had been violated. In 2024, the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers (CoE) gave Turkey, which continues to maintain conditions of isolation, a one-year action plan period. After a year passed without Turkey presenting an action plan, the CoM reconvened on September 15 to discuss the right to hope.

 

Sevda Çelik Özbingöl, Co-Spokesperson of the Legal Commission of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), commented on the final day of the CoM's discussions on the right to hope. 

 

Life imprisonment is equivalent to the death penalty

 

Sevda Çelik Özbingöl stated that discussions are being held in areas where rights struggles are being fought and in legal institutions and organizations, arguing that the death penalty constitutes a serious violation of human rights and should no longer be applied. She recalled that following these discussions, the concept of the “right to hope” began to emerge. Emphasizing that a judicial process is underway to replace the death penalty with life imprisonment, Sevda Çelik Özbingöl stated that life imprisonment should also be considered a psychological violation of rights. 

 

‘Legal and political conditions must be met’

 

Sevda Çelik Özbingöl stated that their fundamental demands are the lifting of the isolation imposed on Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan in Imrali Island Prison and the implementation of the necessary legal regulations to enforce the right to hope, which has been determined to be legally violated. 

 

Recalling Abdullah Öcalan's call for “Peace and a Democratic Society,” Sevda Çelik Özbingöl noted: "It is essential that the legal and political conditions be met for Mr. Abdullah Öcalan, whose role and mission in contributing to a peaceful and democratic solution to the Kurdish issue is undisputed by the public, to be included in this process. This issue is an important agenda item that all segments of society should be directly involved in. Action should be taken taking into account Mr. Öcalan's potential to contribute as the primary actor and chief negotiator in the process in Turkey, Kurdistan, and the Middle East."

 

‘The right to hope is a vital issue’

 

Sevda Çelik Özbingöl emphasized that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), in its decisions dated September 17-19, 2015, 2021, and 2024, considered the denial of the right to hope to Abdullah Öcalan as a violation of rights. She noted that serious assessments were made after the last meeting. She said: "Considering that there are over 4,000 prisoners serving aggravated life sentences in Turkey, the right to hope necessitates vital legal regulation. The unfolding process encompasses a period marked by Mr. Abdullah Öcalan's call, the decision to lay down arms, and the commission established in parliament. Therefore, a great responsibility falls not only on lawyers but also on politicians, parliament, individuals and institutions engaged in the struggle for rights, civil society components, and legal organizations."

 

‘Permanent, not temporary, reforms are essential’

 

Sevda Çelik Özbingöl pointed out that at the 2024 meeting of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Turkey was given one year to develop an action plan, emphasizing that this was an important recommendation. Sevda Çelik Özbingöl said, "The parliament has important responsibilities in monitoring the ECHR's decisions regarding human rights violations that have been ongoing for over 10 years. The ECHR has identified human rights violations in Turkey through the cases of Abdullah Öcalan and the Gurban Group and has imposed responsibilities. A new evaluation process began on September 15-17, 2024. Significant developments have taken place in Turkey during this period. However, the seriousness of the process must be addressed not only with temporary measures but also with legal safeguards that include permanent, structural reforms. It is imperative that reforms be implemented in line with the decisions of international judicial mechanisms." 

 

‘Concrete steps must be taken’

 

Concluding her speech with an appeal to the political authorities, Sevda Çelik Özbingöl said: “Peace must be built in the shadow of judicial processes, political developments, thousands of people who have lost their lives, villages that have been emptied, and the suffering that has been endured. The current political power is obliged to take concrete steps, not just make wishes. Urgent, structural, and long-term solutions that respond to the expectations and needs of the people must be implemented as soon as possible."