Appeal to implement the jurisdiction of the ECHR in favour of Turkish conscientious objectors: Joint submission of EBCO, WRI and IFOR to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe

Twelve years after the groundbreaking judgement of the European Court of Human Rights in favour of the Turkish conscientious objector Osman Murat Ülke the Turkish government continues to deny the comprehensive implementation of the mentioned ruling. Until now neither the individual nor the general legislative measures requested by the judgement have been fully executed: In November 2017 Ülke’s case has been reopened by the Prosecutor in Bilecik, and there is still no provision in Turkish law that would guarantee the human right of conscientious objection to military service. This is why the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO), War Resisters’ International (WRI) and the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) address in a joint submission the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and demand the full execution of the judgement Ülke vs. Turkey.

Attachement: Text of the submission