In 2014, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in Öcalan v. Türkiye (No. 2) judgment that Abdullah Öcalan’s aggravated life sentence violated the prohibition of torture under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights and affirmed the need to recognise a “right to hope.”
More than a decade later, Türkiye has still failed to implement the judgment, and no effective legislative reform has been adopted despite repeated calls from the Council of Europe and its Committee of Ministers.
At its September 2025 meeting, the Committee of Ministers urged Türkiye to act without delay and highlighted possible legal reforms, including the introduction of a review mechanism for aggravated life sentences. Türkiye was given until the end of June 2026 to submit an action plan outlining how it intended to implement the necessary legal changes. However, no concrete progress has followed. Parliamentary discussions and official reports in Türkiye have continued to avoid addressing the issue of the “right to hope.”
Abdullah Öcalan has been imprisoned for more than 27 years. Throughout this time, he has consistently used every available opportunity to advocate for peace and a political resolution to the Kurdish question. In the context of the ongoing peace process, he remains a central political actor, widely regarded as the representative of the Kurdish people and a key interlocutor. Yet despite this role, he continues to be held under highly restrictive conditions, with limited access to fundamental rights and an unresolved legal status.
Recognising the “right to hope” in his case would constitute an important first step toward ending the regime of extreme isolation, and toward establishing a legal basis for release. Aligning Türkiye’s execution-of-sentences regime with its human rights obligations would not only affect Öcalan’s case, but would also represent a broader step toward democratisation and the strengthening of the rule of law, with implications for thousands of prisoners held under the same legal framework.
Today, we stand at a critical turning point, where the future of Kurdish society — and of all peoples in Türkiye — hangs in the balance. Given Türkiye’s role within the wider region, as well as the transnational dimensions of Kurdish communities across Iran, Iraq, and Syria, the outcome will also carry significant implications for the broader Middle East. One path points toward regional stability, democratic self-governance, and peaceful coexistence; the other toward the escalation of regional conflict and violent extremism, with consequences extending far beyond the Middle East.
In this context, the necessary conditions must be created for Abdullah Öcalan to freely play his role within ongoing process and ultimately to be released from prison. For these reasons, we make the following demands:
We Call For:
- Immediate implementation of the 2014 ECHR judgment and recognition of the “right to hope.”
- Stronger supervision and political pressure on Türkiye by the Committee of Ministers, including infringement procedures if necessary.
- The release of Abdullah Öcalan and his full participation in the peace process.