NEWS CENTER - CoM has given Turkey until the end of June to make legal changes within the framework of a new action plan regarding the Right to Hope.

 

The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers (CoM) announced its interim decision on the “Gurban Group” case, which includes the “right to hope” of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, Emin Gurban, Civan Boltan, and Hayati Kaytan.

 

In its decision announced after the Human Rights Meeting held between September 15-17, the Committee stated that legal changes should be made within the framework of a new action plan providing an examination mechanism for life sentences to ensure the swift implementation of the decisions in the Gurban Group case.

 

The Commission was referred to

 

The Committee stated that Turkey could go beyond this and use the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission established in Parliament to implement the necessary legal regulations. The decision also included a recommendation that the draft laws previously submitted by Parliament on this matter be adopted by Parliament.

 

Review mechanism

 

In its decision, the Committee stated that international law requires mechanisms to be in place to allow for a review no later than 25 years after a life sentence is imposed.

 

The Committee's decision also expressed regret that Turkey had not taken sufficient measures and necessary legal steps. The Committee called on the authorities to take the necessary measures without further delay.

 

Decisions

 

*Encouraged the authorities to consider exploring various alternatives at their disposal to ensure swift implementation of the judgments in the present group, including but not limited to introducing legislative amendments within the framework of the new Human Rights Action Plan providing for review mechanism for whole life sentences; making use of the “terror-free Türkiye” initiative and the recently established “National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission” which has the mandate to propose legislative amendments to Parliament; or adoption by Parliament of the draft bills on this issue that have already been introduced by members of Parliament;

 

*Encouraged them once again to draw inspiration from the experience of other member States which have put in place such review mechanisms;

 

*Invıted the authorities to provide information on the measures taken to ensure swift progress in the implementation of the present group of cases, by the end of June 2026 at the latest.