Call for Turkey to Listen to ECHR

Conscientious objectors have decided to use International Action Day (5 June) to protest in Istanbul. They are demanding that the compensation that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has awarded conscientious objector Osman Murat Ülke be paid. Ülke has been living in hiding after spending 701 days in prison.

"Civil Death"

In January 2006, the ECHR had found Turkey guilty of condemning Ülke to "civil death". According to war opponents and conscientious objectors, Turkey is the only one of the 47 European Council countries that does not grant the constitutional right to conscientious objection.

Conscientious objectors are calling on authorities to acknowledge the ECHR decision and other objectors. They are also reiterating their call for the liberation of objector Halil Savda, who is serving a twenty-one and a half month sentence in a military prison in Corlu, West of Turkey. (AÖ/EÜ/AG/EÜ)