In a letter to the Guardian, Prof Philip Leach of Middlesex University and Prof Başak Çalı of Oxford University argue that governments must take concerted action to give the European convention on human rights real teeth, as the repression of free speech in Turkey worsens daily, especially for critics of the government or President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Kavala's Continued Detention
Osman Kavala, a human rights philanthropist represented by the professors, has been in jail since 2017 despite legally binding orders for his release issued by the European court of human rights, which has recognised that he is the victim of a political prosecution. European states have repeatedly balked at putting real pressure on Turkey to free Kavala.
Call for Action
The professors state: "Instead of paying lip service to upholding the integrity of the European human rights system, governments must take concerted action to give it some real teeth." They reference a recent Guardian article highlighting Turkey's intensifying crackdown on public life in the run-up to a Nato summit in Ankara.
