Infringement proceedings against Turkey: Schwabe welcomes Committee of Ministers' decision
Back in December 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that cultural patron Osman Kavala must be released. The Turkish government has repeatedly disregarded this order. Frank Schwabe therefore welcomes the decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to open infringement proceedings under Article 46.4 ECHR against Turkey.
Frank Schwabe, chairman of the Group of Socialists, Democrats and Greens (SOC) within the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE):
"Since 2017, Osman Kavala has been in imprisoned in Turkey. Despite the fact that the ECtHR has a very clear ruling on the matter: Kavala must be released immediately. The Turkish Government has now had enough time to implement this ruling. Once again, this chance was squandered by Turkey last week. As momentous as an exclusion of Turkey from the Council of Europe would be, as important is it for the Council of Europe member states to fulfil the obligations to which they have subjected themselves. First and foremost, the obligation to respect and implement ECtHR judgments. This is the red line and in the case of Kavala Turkey has crossed it by miles. I therefore consider the decision now taken by the Committee of Ministers to be the right consequence. I still hope that the Turkish government uses its opportunity to comply with the court ruling of the ECHR and thus avert the loss of its membership in the Council of Europe. However, we can now state quite rigorously that the times when we just stood on the sideline and watched Turkey undermine the authority of the ECHR are finally over."
