The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers has launched infringement proceedings against Ankara that have so far stressed dialogue but cou
Nebahat Akkoc says her life began afresh after the European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2000 that she had suffered torture while in Turkish custody, emboldening her and others to carry on their fight for women’s rights.
Now she fears Turks could lose such protections as Turkey faces removal from the Council of Europe (CoE), a leading human rights body, after it failed to implement a 2019 court ruling to release jailed businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala.
The CoE’s Committee of Ministers has launched infringement proceedings against Ankara that have so far stressed dialogue but could eventually see Turkey’s removal or its membership suspended, experts say.
Asked about potential measures, a CoE spokesperson said it was for the Committee to decide on steps and their timing.
ECHR data shows it delivered 3,820 judgments regarding Turkey between 1959 and 2021, of which 3,385 included at least one rights violation – the highest of any country. Turkey has the largest population among the 46 member states and signed the Convention before many of them.
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