Uçum: 'ECHR and Amor Should Know Their Place'
Turkish President's chief adviser Mehmet Uçum lashed out at the European Court of Human Rights over its ruling that Osman Kavala be released.
RastinewsMehmet Uçum, chief adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, hit back at a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling ordering the release of Osman Kavala, saying Turkey could review its status as a party to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR treaty).
The ECHR's Grand Chamber found a rights violation in Kavala's second application, saying Kavala — who has been jailed since 2017 — should be released as soon as possible and that Turkey should pay him compensation.
In a statement titled "The ECHR and Amor should know their place," Uçum took aim at both the court's ruling and remarks by European Parliament's Turkey rapporteur Nacho Sánchez Amor.
Uçum argued the ECHR is not a hierarchical judicial authority standing above national courts. "ECHR rulings carry no substantive binding force at any stage," he said. He contended that national judiciary is the rule and international regulations and rulings are subsidiary, adding that ECHR decisions cannot directly annul a national court's verdict.
Calling Sánchez Amor's remarks "insolent and baseless," Uçum said: "No one can lecture Turkey's minister of justice. It is not anyone's place to question the independence of the Turkish judiciary."
Uçum closed his statement by putting Turkey's ECHR membership and the right to individual petition up for debate, saying: "As the ECHR keeps issuing politically motivated rulings, it holds less and less value for Turkey. Turkey is being pushed to reconsider its status as a party to the ECHR and the right to individual application to the court."