A delegation from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, led by co-chair Tülay Hatimoğulları, held a series of high-level meetings over three days in Strasbourg to discuss the worsening authoritarianism and human rights situation in Turkey. The delegation met with several prominent Council of Europe officials, focusing on the country’s increasing political repression, human rights violations and disregard for the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
One of the most notable meetings was with Alain Berset, the recently elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Berset, who is responsible for overseeing the strategic management of the organisation, held a closed-door meeting with the DEM Party delegation on the last day of their visit. The discussion focused on the deepening authoritarian tendencies in Turkey.
In addition to the meeting with Berset, the DEM Party delegation met with several other key figures, including the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Chair of the Assembly’s Monitoring Committee and the Director General for Political Affairs and External Relations.
During their visit, the delegation attended the meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly’s Left Group, where Hatimoğulları spoke about the need for Europe to put pressure on Turkey to fulfil its obligations. She criticised the leniency given to Turkey as a result of President Erdoğan’s use of the migrant crisis as a bargaining chip and called on the European institutions to uphold their founding values and principles.
At the end of the meetings, Hatimoğulları made a press statement, described these meetings as crucial in raising concerns about Turkey’s human rights record and the ongoing problems faced by the DEM Party.
Hatimoğulları emphasised the significance of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings in the Kobanê and Gezi cases, which had found Turkey in violation of human rights. “The ECHR rulings must be enforced,” she said. “Turkey is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights and must comply with these decisions.” She drew attention to the lengthy prison sentences handed to prominent figures such as Figen Yüksekdağ, Selahattin Demirtaş, Osman Kavala, and Can Atalay, highlighting the Turkish government’s ongoing disregard for these judgments.
Another key issue raised during the meetings was the appointment of government trustees to replace elected mayors in DEM Party municipalities, particularly in Hakkari. “The appointment of trustees is a violation of the right to vote and stand for election,” said Hatimoğulları. She noted that local democracy is one of the Council of Europe’s core areas of work, making this a serious violation of democratic rights.
The delegation also raised the issue of the continued isolation of Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held in solitary confinement in İmralı Prison for almost four years without contact with his family or lawyers. “This situation violates both international conventions that Turkey has ratified and its own constitution,” Hatimoğulları said, adding that the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture had previously visited İmralı and produced a report that has yet to be published.
Human rights violations in Turkish prisons were another major topic of discussion. Hatimoğulları expressed concern about the increasing repression under Turkey’s authoritarian regime: “Human rights violations are on the rise and young people, who feel unsafe, are trying to emigrate.”
The issue of violence against women was also raised, particularly in the context of Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. “We highlighted how this decision has left women without essential legal protection, making them even more vulnerable to violence,” said Hatimoğulları.
Concluding the meetings, Hatimoğulları stressed the need for a global push for peace, especially in the Middle East. “We have conveyed our message to the Council of Europe that a major peace effort is needed. We must all work together to build a peace process, and democratic forces have a crucial role to play in this.”
