European Convention on Human Rights

It was 16 years ago today when Turkish Prime Minister of the day Bülent Ecevit appeared before the cameras and announced that Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) who was captured a day before on Feb. 15, 1999, was brought to Turkey and put in prison.

The government-led process to find a solution to the decades-old Kurdish problem is a "vital national project" that should be treated with patience, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu has said.
      

The most critical stage in hectic talks between the government and the Peoples? Democratic Party (HDP) on the resolution process, which has recently gained visible momentum, has arrived.

Main opposition Republican People?s Party (CHP) leader Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu has said he would be pleased if the outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) disarms.

The resignation of former National Intelligence Agency (M?T) Chief Hakan Fidan to run in the upcoming general elections shows that the agency has become politicized, main opposition Republican People?s Party (CHP) leader Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu has said.

?We were saying this before, but they were denying it. Now the truth has come to light,? K?l?çdaro?lu said on Feb. 11.

Turkey's outgoing intelligence chief is a joint lawmaker candidate of the ruling party, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Democratic Peoples' Party (HDP), the head of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has said, saying this will help legitimize the PKK.

Peoples? Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chairman Selahattin Demirta? has described the Kurdish peace process as at neither an impasse nor a breakthrough, saying a meeting between the government and a HDP delegation would soon happen. 

The HDP delegation will meet with the government on Feb. 8, after which he will make a statement, Demirta? told reporters on Feb. 6.

The Feb. 4 meeting between the Turkish government and the leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) at ?mral? Island prison, south of Istanbul, was expected to be important regarding the future of the peace talks, as the country heads for general elections on June 7.

The meeting to be held this week between Turkish government officials and outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan in the island-prison of ?mral?, south of Istanbul is expected to be a critical one for the future of the talks concerning a political settlement in the country?s chronic Kurdish problem, according to sources on both sides who wished to remain anonymous.

On Sept. 24, 2012, Turkey allowed its citizens to file individual applications at the Constitutional Court, creating another path to exhaust domestic remedies before applications to the ECHR. As a result, the drop in applications against Ankara at the ECHR appears to be more due to the new, longer domestic process, than it is to improvements in Turkey?s human rights situation.