Turkish Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç has ruled out the possibility of releasing Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Öcalan from prison amid an ongoing peace process, drawing an angry response from the country’s main pro-Kurdish party, which insists Öcalan can be released.
Tunç talked about the possibility of the “right to hope” for Öcalan at a meeting with media representatives in Ankara on Tuesday after Öcalan called on his outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to lay down its arms and disband in a historic call last month.
The PKK, which has been waging a bloody war in Turkey’s southeast since 1984 that has claimed thousands of lives, declared a ceasefire after Öcalan’s call. The group is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
The “right to hope” refers to the assessment of whether a prisoner, based on good behavior, may be conditionally released after serving a portion of their sentence, as determined by law.
Responding to questions about an ongoing debate over whether Öcalan could benefit from the right to hope, Tunç ruled out such a possibility for the PKK leader who has been jailed in a high-security prison on İmralı Island in the Sea of Marmara since 1999.
Tunç said there is no parole for aggravated life sentences commuted from a death sentence, which is the case in Öcalan’s situation.
Following his capture by Turkish security forces in Nairobi in 1999, Öcalan stood trial in Turkey and was subsequently sentenced to death; however, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in October 2002 after Turkey abolished the death penalty as part of its European Union membership process.
The minister said the law on the execution of penalties specifically states that there is no parole for aggravated life sentences commuted from a death sentence.
“What we need to focus on right now is the end of terrorism and the laying down of arms. That is our sole priority,” Tunç said.
In his historic call, Öcalan urged the PKK to lay down its arms without setting preconditions for the government. He did not specify what steps, if any, the Turkish government would take to address Kurdish demands for broader political and cultural rights, either.
His statement has fueled speculation that Ankara may have made undisclosed concessions to the militant group. Some opposition politicians have criticized the government for a lack of transparency in its talks with Öcalan.
It was far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli who had initiated the peace process with the PKK in a surprise move last October and raised the possiblity of Öcalan’s release from prison.
Bahçeli said Öcalan could benefit from the right to hope if he renounces terrorism and calls on the PKK lay down its arms.
His outreach was backed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
DEM Party responds to Tunç’s statement
In response to Tunç’s remarks, pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Co-chair Tuncer Bakırhan criticized the justice minister’s stance, citing international legal precedents which he says make Öcalan’s release from prison possible.
He said at a meeting of his party on Tuesday that there are rulings from international courts, including the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), that could pave the way for Öcalan’s release.
Bakırhan accused Minister Yılmaz of exceeding his authority.
“If he [Tunç] is committed to upholding universal legal principles, the right to hope is a recognized concept, not something we created. For a lasting solution, peace and a new democratic framework, the right to hope must be acknowledged and politically motivated imprisonment cases must be reviewed,” he said.
“Are people supposed to remain in prison forever?” he asked.
Bakırhan also reacted to Tunç’s claims that Öcalan did not face restrictions in prison, recalling that the jailed Kurdish leader had not met with his lawyers or family members in the past four years.
“It’s disgraceful! The government must clarify its stance,” he said.
Following Bahçeli’s call, a nephew of Öcalan, Ömer Öcalan, who is also a DEM Party lawmaker, was allowed to visit his uncle in prison after a hiatus of almost four years.
Kurds in Turkey have been demanding equal rights and struggling for recognition for decades. The new peace process comes after an almost 10-year freeze in peace efforts.