Civil society representatives and human rights defenders from various European countries made a strong appeal to the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) today during the “4th Justice Meeting” held in Strasbourg.
Hundreds of people attended the demonstration in front of the Council of Europe building. At the event, which began at 11:30 AM, three separate letters addressed to ECHR President Mattias Guyomar, Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset, and Human Rights Commissioner Michael O’Flaherty were presented to officials just before the stage performances.
The letters were delivered with signatures from 16 associations, including six human rights organizations. The written statements highlighted the systematic human rights violations in Turkey since 2016. It was emphasized that while most of these violations have been documented by international mechanisms such as the ECHR and UN, Ankara has failed to fulfill its obligations.
“Fundamental Rights Still Being Violated in 2025”
The letter addressed to the Human Rights Commissioner noted that the politically motivated arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu this year, followed by the detention of other elected mayors, demonstrates the increasing erosion of democratic norms in Turkey.
Additionally, highlighting the acceleration of authoritarianism in digital spaces in Turkey, the letter stated, “Since 2023, in collaboration with Meta and X platforms, over 112,000 social media accounts, mostly belonging to journalists in exile, have been blocked.”
Shocking Data Shared
The letter to the Council of Europe reported that 702,000 people were investigated under vague terrorism charges, 350,000 were detained, 130,000 public employees were dismissed, and numerous children were either imprisoned with their parents or deprived of parental care.
Referencing the Yüksel Yalçınkaya decision, the letter highlighted how Turkey had re-convicted the same person using criteria that the ECHR Grand Chamber had explicitly deemed fundamental rights violations, thus defying ECHR decisions. The Council of Europe was urged to take a firm and concrete stance against this situation.
Pressure on Lawyers, Interference with Legal System
The letter highlighted that not only political opponents but also lawyers are facing increasing pressure in Turkey, noting that the Istanbul Bar Association became a target simply for demanding accountability. It stated, “Anti-terrorism laws are being misused to suppress the right to defense and weaken bar associations.”
Transnational Pressures also on Agenda
The letters addressed not only domestic rights violations but also international law violations. The case of four Turkish citizens kidnapped in Kenya in October 2024 and forcibly returned to Turkey despite UN interim protection measures was cited as a striking example of transnational pressure. It was stated that the Council of Europe should intervene in this matter before the Strasbourg Court.
To ECHR: “Domestic Legal Remedies are Now Ineffective”
The letter to the ECHR President stated that domestic legal remedies in Turkey have become ineffective, particularly noting a deliberate delay strategy in cases involving Hizmet Movement members. The court was asked to make urgent decisions on pending cases rather than persistently expecting victims to exhaust domestic remedies.
It was also expressed that ruling with low compensation in some cases has damaged the court’s reputation. Using the Yusuf Bilge Tunç case as an example, it was stated that the court’s decisions assuming Turkey as a state of law has created deep distrust among victims.
Finally, to ensure the impartiality of examining judges at the ECHR, it was requested that their appointment and salary processes be made transparent and independent.
The event concluded with a collective call under the slogan “Justice for All.” Participants emphasized that the Council of Europe must no longer remain silent and must take effective steps to ensure the implementation of ECHR decisions.
