This year, for the 4th time, we will be in front of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in June to reiterate our call for justice for millions under oppression in Turkey. In this gathering that grows with the voices of more participants each year, we will say “Justice for All” more strongly and determinedly this time. While fundamental rights are systematically violated in Turkey, we are gathering in Strasbourg to reiterate our demand for the Council of Europe to take more concrete and effective steps.
We are in Strasbourg again. Because unenforced ECtHR decisions show that there is no respect for the law in terms of guaranteeing fundamental rights, and that the rule of law is a principle only on paper. The decisions on human rights violations regarding Osman Kavala and Selahaddin Demirtaş, who have been deprived of their freedom for years, along with the Yalçınkaya decision confirming the unlawful conviction of over a hundred thousand people, are being ignored by the Turkish judiciary. We are witnessing more closely every day that the judiciary in Turkey is not independent and that political pressure overrides justice. We cannot remain silent in the face of this blatant disregard for the law. If we want “justice for everyone”, we must first ensure the implementation of ECtHR decisions.
We are in Strasbourg again. Because democracy begins with respecting the will of the people, but in Turkey “, this will is systematically usurped. The politically motivated arrest decision against Ekrem İmamoğlu, the dismissal of opposition elected mayors and appointment of trustees in their place, operations against opposition municipality employees, silencing of journalists reporting on all these, and disproportionate police violence against protesters show that the mechanism of democracy is no longer functioning in Turkey”. The people’s choice is not respected, and the right to access accurate information is obstructed. The violation decisions regarding elected Member of Parliament Can Atalay are not being implemented. In the shadow of consolidated authoritarianism, true democracy cannot be spoken of. Without democracy, there can be no “justice for everyone”.
We are in Strasbourg again. Because personal freedom and security are disregarded in Turkey. With a politicized judiciary and law enforcement acting under the government’s command, law is being used as a tool to silence dissenters. Despite the principle of “no crime and punishment without law” clearly emphasized in the ECtHR’s Yalçınkaya decision, dozens of people are arbitrarily detained every day on allegations of membership in the Gülen Movement. Baseless terrorism charges now extend to children, especially female students. Members of the Kurdish political movement and Kurdish journalists are detained on charges of terrorism propaganda after making statements. Journalists criticizing the government are accused of “spreading misleading information,” while protesting students are accused of “insulting the President.” We cannot remain silent in this climate of oppression and fear. Without law-abiding law enforcement and a judiciary independent from politics, “justice for everyone” is not possible.
We are coming again. Because we want ‘Justice’. We want it now. We say “Justice delayed is justice denied.” Despite the ECtHR’s Yalçınkaya decision, at least 6503[1] more people have been deprived of their freedom with the same baseless charges. Those held in prisons cannot access adequate medical care; their families outside face social exclusion, stigmatization, and severe economic hardships. When these injustices are not addressed in time, the grievances deepen further.
The politicized judicial system in Turkey does not offer a solution for human rights violations. However, the international agreements to which Turkey is a party still maintain their quality as a guarantee of fundamental rights and freedoms for tens of thousands of people under the pressure of authoritarianism. To keep this hope alive, we call on the Council of Europe:
Fulfill your duty to ensure that the European Convention on Human Rights is implemented. Remind Turkey of its obligations that it has signed and take action to ensure it fulfills them.
We will voice this call loudly with thousands of people in front of the Council of Europe building in June.
[1] The number of people detained on allegations of membership in the Gülen movement between September 26, 2023, when the ECtHR Yalçınkaya Decision was announced, and April 29, 2025, when this article was prepared. Source https://turkeyrightsmonitor.com/tr/kitlesel-gozaltilar
