Turkey Rejects ‘Right to Hope’ for Ocalan as Justice Minister Delays İmralı Meeting Indefinitely
"Turkey again rejects 'right to hope' for jailed PKK leader Ocalan, defying ECHR ruling. Peace process in limbo as govt postpones key meeting with Kurdish delegation amid planned PKK disarmament.
By Ahora Qadi
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Turkish government has once again rejected the application of the "right to hope" for Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), according to an official plan presented by Ankara to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
This decision comes as Turkey's Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç postponed a scheduled meeting with the İmralı delegation—comprising senior figures from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party)—to an unspecified later date.
Ankara rejects ECHR demands again
In the newly presented plan dated Jun. 27, 2025, Turkey reaffirmed its position that life sentences without parole for Ocalan and other high-security inmates will remain unchanged, arguing these cases represent “exceptional circumstances” that do not require parole mechanisms.
This stance directly contradicts a 2014 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which stated that life sentences without any possibility of parole violate the European Convention on Human Rights, particularly the "right to hope." The ECHR demanded legal amendments from Turkey—a request still unmet after 11 years.
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç confirmed Ankara’s position, stating, “There is no such thing as a ‘right to hope’ for Ocalan.”
Postponed İmralı meeting stirs speculation
According to Media channels close to DEM Party, a meeting between Justice Minister Tunç and the İmralı delegation was scheduled for Tuesday, Tuesday. However, the session was postponed indefinitely without official explanation.
The İmralı delegation includes parliamentarians Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar from the DEM Party, along with Ocalan’s lawyer Özgür Faik Erol. Turkish intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın and AKP deputy leader Efkan Ala were expected to attend from the government’s side.
Ocalan visit and upcoming statement
On Sunday, the delegation visited Abdullah Ocalan in his prison on İmralı Island. Sources indicate that the visit was linked to a potential upcoming statement from Ocalan, expected later this week, in light of new developments in Turkey's long-stalled peace process.
Following the visit, the delegation issued a statement after meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, noting that they had shared their proposals and expectations for the next stage of the peace initiative. “There was an emphasis on the need to maintain joint political will to push the process forward,” the statement read.
Parallel disarmament developments
The diplomatic movements coincide with preparations by a group of PKK fighters to formally surrender their weapons in a monitored public ceremony, expected to include representatives from multiple parties and media coverage.
As Ankara continues to defy European legal obligations concerning Ocalan’s rights, the future of the peace process remains uncertain, caught between symbolic gestures, stalled legal reforms, and mounting international scrutiny.
