The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), together with 57 other human rights, legal and media organisations, has addressed an open letter to the leaders of the European Union, urging immediate and concrete action in response to the Turkish government’s ongoing assault on the rule of law and human rights.
The letter expresses serious concern over politically motivated arrests and detentions, the use of criminal law and anti-terrorism legislation to silence critics, persistent defiance of binding European Court of Human Rights judgments, and intensifying attacks on civil society, lawyers and independent media.
The organisations call on the EU to publicly denounce the erosion of democratic space in Türkiye, to condition progress in bilateral relations on measurable human rights improvements, and to demand the release of unlawfully detained individuals. They also urge stronger support for civil society, as well as monitoring of politically motivated trials and accountability for violations committed during recent mass protests.
The ICJ and its partners underline that the EU must meet its legal obligations under Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union by adopting a principled and rights-based approach in its relations with Türkiye.
