Statement on the possible reinstatement of the death penalty in Turkey

The right to life is guaranteed by all major international and regional human rights treaties. The European Court of Human Rights has interpreted the right to life as “an inalienable attribute of human beings” and a “supreme value in the international hierarchy of human rights”.1 The undersigned organisations believe that the abolition of the death penalty contributes to the fostering and protection of human dignity and the gradual development of a global culture of human rights. The undersigned therefore condemn, in the strongest terms, any attempt to reinstate the death penalty in Turkey. The undersigned insist on the fact that Turkey is a member of the Council of Europe and a signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights. Consequently, Turkey is bound by Protocols 6 and 13 of the Convention which abolish the death penalty. In Turkey, the last execution took place in 1984. The death penalty was abolished for ordinary crimes in 2002, and finally abandoned on 7 May 2004. In addition, in 2006, Turkey became the 57th State to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty. Therefore, the undersigned call upon the Turkish government to respect its international commitments, reminding them that Turkey has supported the recent World Congress Against the Death penalty held on 21-23 June 2016 in Oslo.

1 European Court of Human Rights, Judgment in the case of Streletz, Kessler and Krenz v. Germany, 22 March 2001, in particular paragraphs 72, 85, 87 and 94.

Michel BENICHOU President Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE)

Yves OSCHINSKY President European Bars Federation (FBE)

David FRØLICH President International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA)

Jean-Jacques UETTWILLER President International Association of Lawyers (UIA)

Carlos BOTELHO MONIZ President Union des Avocats Européens

Sabrina JENQUIN President European Lawyers' Association

Symone GAASBEEK-WIELINGA President Day of the Endangered Lawyer Foundation

Holger MATT President European Criminal Bar Association

Pascale TAELMANS President European Democratic Lawyers (EDL)

Daniela RAQUEL ALVES VALDEZ President European Young Bar Association

Bill BOWRING President European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights (ELDH)

AUSTRALIA

Tony KENYON President National Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA)

AUSTRALIA

Stuart CLARK AM President Law Council of Australia

AUSTRIA Rupert WOLFF President Österreichischer Rechtsanwaltskammertag

BELGIUM

Jean-Pierre BUYLE President Ordres des barreaux francophones et germanophone de Belgique (AVOCATS.BE)

BELGIUM

Dominique MATTHIJS President Orde van Vlaamse Balies

CZECH REPUBLIC

Martin VYCHOPEŇ President Czech Bar Association

DENMARK Bjørn ELMQUIST President Legal Affairs Association (Retspolitisk Forening)

DENMARK

Peter FOGH President Danish Bar and Law Society

FRANCE

Pascal EYDOUX President Conseil National des Barreaux

FRANCE

Fédéric SICARD President Ordre des avocats de Paris

FRANCE

Yves MAHIU President Conférence des Bâtonniers

GERMANY

Ekkehart SCHÄFER President Bundesrechtsanwaltskammer

GERMANY

Ulrich SCHELLENBERG President Deutscher Anwaltverein

GERMANY

Ingrid HEINLEIN Sprecherin der Fachgruppe Internationales der NRV Neue Richtervereinigung

ITALY

Francesco CAIA National Advisor & coordinator of the Human Rights Commission at the Consiglio Nazionale Forense LUXEMBOURG

François PRUM President Barreau du Luxembourg

THE NETHERLANDS

P.N. VAN REGTEREN ALTENA President Amsterdamse Orde van Advocaten

SPAIN

Victoria ORTEGA BENITO President Consejo General de la Abogacía Española

SWEDEN

Bengt IVARSSON President Sveriges Advokatsamfund

UNITED KINGDOM

Robert BOURNS President The Law Society of England and Wales

UNITED KINGDOM

Chantal-Aimée DOERRIES QC President The Bar Council of England and Wales

UNITED KINGDOM

Eilidh WISEMAN President The Law Society of Scotland

UNITED KINGDOM

Alan SUMMERS QC Treasurer The Faculty of Advocates

UNITED KINGDOM

Brenan GARLAND President The Bar of Northern Ireland

UNITED KINGDOM

John GUERIN President The Law Society of Northern Ireland

QUEBEC

Claudia P. PRÉMONT President Barreau du Québec

SLOVAK REPUBLIC

Ľubomír HREŽDOVIC President Slovak Bar Association

SWITZERLAND

Dr.iur. , LL.M. Sergio GIACOMINI President Swiss Bar Association

ESTONIA

Hannes VALLIKIVI Chairman Estonian Bar Association

MALAYSIA

Malaysian Bar Association

FRANCE

Martine GOUT President Barreau de Tulle

FRANCE

Betty FAGOT President Barreau d’Agen

FRANCE

Philip KLEIN President Ordre des Avocats d'Aix-en-Provence

FRANCE

Jean-François CASALTA President Ordre des Avocats d’Ajaccio

FRANCE

Isabelle DUGUET President Barreau de Bayonne

FRANCE

Didier DARRAS President Barreau de Béthune

FRANCE

Bertrand BRUNEAU DE LA SALLE President Barreau de Caen

FRANCE

France ORZONNAT President Barreau de Cherbourg

FRANCE

O. GSELL President Ordre des Avocats à la cour d'appel de Comar

FRANCE

Laurent MARIN President Barreau de Coutances Avranches

FRANCE

Marie-Pierre PRADEAU-IZARD President Barreau de Draguignan

FRANCE

William DEVAINE President Barreau de la Charente

FRANCE

Christine TEISSEIRE President Barreau de la Rochelle – Rochefort

FRANCE

Olivier JOUGLAS President Barreau du Havre

FRANCE

Laurence JUNOD-FANGET President Barreau de Lyon

FRANCE

Djaffar BELHAMICI President Ordre des Avocats de la Cour d’appel de Metz

FRANCE

André BRUNEL President Barreau de Montpellier

FRANCE

Philippe BERTRAND President Barreau de Mulhouse

FRANCE

Jean-Claude MONCEAUX President Barreau de Nîmes

FRANCE

Eric GRASSIN President Barreau d’Orléans

FRANCE

Thomas DROUINEAU President Barreau de Poitiers

Grégoire MANGEAT President Ordre des avocats de Genève

FRANCE

Vincent LAURET President Ordre des Avocats de Quimper

Philip LE GOFF President Barreau de Rennes

FRANCE

Arnaud de SAINT REMY President Barreau de Rouen

FRANCE

Patrick ELGHOZI President Barreau de Saint-Brieuc

FRANCE

Chendra KICHENIN President Barreau de Saint-Denis, Réunion

FRANCE

GREECE

Vasilis E. ALEXANDRIS President Athens Bar Association

SLOVENIA

PORTUGAL

Portuguese Bar Association