Turkey does not recognize the European rulings on Osman Kavala or Selahattin DemirtaÃ...Ÿ, President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan said on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters on a flight returning from Doha, ErdoÄŸan was cited as saying the European rulings on both Kavala (businessman) and DemirtaÃ...Ÿ (Kurdish politician) were "null and void" for Turkey.
Last week the Council of Europe told Turkey it was preparing "infringement proceedings" over its failure to release Kavala, a move that could lead to Ankara's suspension from the human rights body. It also strongly urged Turkey to release DemirtaÃ...Ÿ.
"There is no need to comment on this," ErdoÄŸan said about the proceedings, Sabah Daily reported.
Europe Rights Watchdog moves against Turkey
On December 3, a European human rights watchdog told Turkey it was preparing "infringement proceedings" over its failure to release imprisoned businessman Osman Kavala, a move that could lead to Ankara's suspension from the body.
The Council of Europe's warning, issued in line with a 2019 ruling from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), prompted Turkey to accuse the Strasbourg-based body of meddling in the workings of its independent courts.
Last week a Turkish court ruled to keep Kavala in prison, extending his four-year detention without conviction in a trial which has added to strains in Ankara's troubled relations with its Western allies.
"By failing to ensure the applicant's immediate release, the Committee (of Ministers) considers that Turkey is refusing to abide by the Court's (ECHR's) final judgment in this case," the Council of Europe statement said.
The ECHR ruled in 2019 that Kavala's detention was political and called for his immediate release over a lack of reasonable suspicion that he committed an offence and ruling his detention served to silence him. Turkey has not complied with the ruling.
Diplomatic Row
A Turkish court ruled last month to keep Kavala in prison following the first hearing after tensions heightened between Turkey and the West over a statement made by 10 foreign ambassadors who urged his release.
Kavala has been imprisoned for four years now over his alleged role in the 2013 Gezi Park protests and subsequent riots. However, Kavala denies the charges.
In October, the embassies of the United States, Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden called for Kavala's release in a joint statement.
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