Turkey Responds To Council Of Europe Over Philanthropist Kavala's Case - Reports

Turkey Responds to Council of Europe Over Philanthropist Kavala's Case - Reports

Turkey has sent an official response to the Council of Europe explaining why Turkish human rights activist Osman Kavala was not released from custody despite the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling, Turkish media reported on Thursday

ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2022) Turkey has sent an official response to the Council of Europe explaining why Turkish human rights activist Osman Kavala was not released from custody despite the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling, Turkish media reported on Thursday.

In late November, a Turkish court ruled to keep Kavala in custody. Shortly after, the Council of Europe initiated an infringement procedure against Turkey for failing to implement the ruling of the ECHR made in December 2019, the NTV broadcaster said. Turkey was asked to give a response on the issue, and on Wednesday, Ankara sent a letter prepared by the justice ministry to the Council of Europe. In the response, Turkey said that it has released Kavala in accordance with the ECHR's ruling, but currently the activist is under arrest for other crimes, according to the media.

In February 2020, a Turkish court acquitted Kavala of involvement in a coup attempt in the case of protests in Istanbul's Gezi Park in 2013. The same day, the philanthropist was arrested again on charges of participating in a coup bid in Turkey in July 2016.

The activist is a businessman and a founder of the Anadolu Kultur AS Cultural Foundation, which supports projects involving ethnic and religious minorities, including reconciliation between the Turkish and Armenian peoples and a peaceful solution to the Kurdish problem.

In October, the embassies of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United States urged Turkey to release Kavala after four years under arrest. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the ambassadors would be declared personae non gratae over the issue. The threat, however, was never carried out, as the US embassy in Ankara and diplomatic missions of other countries committed to non-interference in Turkey's internal relations, and Erdogan welcomed the statements.