Syrian initiatives call on Europe Council to pressure Turkey for implement "right to hope" resolutions

The Syrian Initiative for the Freedom of Leader Abdullah Ocalan and the Lawyers' Initiative for the Defense of Leader Abdullah Ocalan issued a joint statement to the public today.

The statement was read in Kurdish by Shama Mohammed, a member of the Syrian Initiative for the Freedom of Leader Abdullah Ocalan, and in Arabic by Mohammed Amin al-Nuaimi, co-chair of the Lawyers' Initiative for the Defense of Leader Abdullah Ocalan, in front of the Social Justice Bureau building in Qamishlo, in the presence of members of both initiatives.

The statement read:

‘As the deadline set by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe for Turkey to implement the resolutions concerning the "right to hope," which would include Abdullah Ocalan and hundreds of other prisoners, approaches, we would like to remind everyone that the European Court of Human Rights has been calling on Turkey since 2014 to make legal amendments guaranteeing respect for this right, emphasizing that the measures taken against Abdullah Ocalan are inconsistent with European human rights standards and laws.

It is worth noting that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe called on the Turkish authorities to align their legislation with these resolutions and granted them a deadline to implement their legal obligations. After the initial deadline passed without tangible progress, an additional eight-month extension was granted. We are now approaching the end of this period without any serious steps or clear legal changes.

It is also worth mentioning that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe is scheduled to hold its meetings on June 9, 10, and 11 to discuss Turkey's compliance with these resolutions and the required measures.

Leader Abdullah Ocalan, throughout the twenty-seven years of his detention on Imrali Island, and despite the extremely harsh conditions of isolation and detention, has sent continuous messages and initiatives calling for peace and a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue.

In light of the escalating conflicts, wars, and violence in the region, these positions reflect a high degree of wisdom and responsibility towards the people and the future of the region.

We—the Syrian Initiative for the Freedom of Leader Abdullah Ocalan and the Syrian Lawyers' Initiative for the Defense of Leader Abdullah Ocalan—reaffirm that implementing the rulings issued by the European Court of Human Rights and the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe is not merely a legal obligation incumbent upon the Turkish state, but rather a true test of its respect for human rights principles, the rule of law, and European standards. We also emphasize that continuing to disregard these rulings and maintaining the isolation imposed on Leader Abdullah Ocalan exacerbates the political deadlock, undermines efforts to achieve peace and stability, and limits the chances of reaching a democratic and just solution to the Kurdish question.

We call upon the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the institutions of the European Union, and all international human rights organizations to exert the necessary pressure on the Turkish government to implement the resolutions issued regarding the right of hope, to ensure respect for international human rights standards, and to work towards the release of all prisoners covered by these rights, in order to create the necessary conditions for a just and democratic solution to the Kurdish issue.

Sh-S

ANHA