Lawyer for leader Ocalan: Council of Europe may take strong measures

On 9 April 2026, lawyers from the Asr Law Office submitted an application to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe concerning leader Ocalan’s “right to hope.” Regarding the issue, leader Ocalan’s lawyer Ibrahim Bilmiz spoke to ANHA Agency.

Bilmiz noted that in its September 2025 meeting, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe had urged Türkiye to amend its legislation on the execution of aggravated life imprisonment. He added: “In 2014, the European Court of Human Rights delivered the ‘Ocalan (No. 2)’ judgment, in which it found a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Accordingly, Turkey is required to bring its legislation into compliance, particularly regarding aggravated life imprisonment, and to establish a mechanism for reviewing such sentences.”

He stressed that Turkey has not yet taken any steps, adding: “There is currently a process underway in Turkey aimed at resolving the Kurdish issue through democratic means. Mr. Ocalan is considered the main interlocutor in this process. However, despite the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, no concrete steps have been taken.”

Bilmiz further explained that during their most recent visit, they requested that if Turkey continues to fail to act, Article 46/4 of the European Convention system be activated. Under this procedure, if a member state fails to comply with the Court’s judgments, the Committee of Ministers may initiate formal infringement proceedings.

He said this would mean that, if the Committee concludes Turkey has committed a violation, it would issue a final warning and refer the case back to the European Court of Human Rights to confirm the breach. If the Court also confirms the violation, the Committee of Ministers could then take measures against Turkey.

Bilmiz stated that such measures, for a founding member of the Council of Europe that also seeks closer ties with the European Union, would be highly significant. He added that the Council could suspend Turkey’s voting rights, suspend its membership, or even expel it entirely, describing these as “very serious measures,” while stressing that they would be the consequence of continued non-compliance.

It is worth noting that the Asr Law Office first applied to the European Court of Human Rights in August 2003 seeking a retrial. In 2014, the Court ruled that aggravated life imprisonment violates Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. More recently, the Committee of Ministers gave Turkey a deadline until June 2026 to amend its legislation regarding the “right to hope.”

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ANHA