Turkey does not recognize the European rulings on Osman Kavala or Selahattin DemirtaÅŸ, 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 DemirtaÅŸ (Kurdish politician) were "null and void" for Turkey.

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Turkey does not recognize the European rulings on Osman Kavala or Selahattin DemirtaÅŸ, 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 DemirtaÅŸ (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 DemirtaÅŸ.

"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.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassadors of these countries, accusing them of meddling in the Turkish judiciary, while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced he had instructed Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu to declare the 10 ambassadors as persona non grata. However, the embassies took a step back, preventing the crisis from escalating further, according to Sabah daily.

The diplomatic spat was resolved after the U.S. and several of the other countries issued statements saying they respected the United Nations convention requiring diplomats not to interfere in the host country's domestic affairs.

Authors Bio:

Author and journalist.
Author of
Islamic Pakistan: Illusions & Reality;
Islam in the Post-Cold War Era;
Islam & Modernism;
Islam & Muslims in the Post-9/11 America.
American Muslims in Politics.
Islam in the 21st Century: Challanges, conspiracies & Chaos
Muslim Word in the New Global Order
Currently working as free lance journalist.
Executive Editor of American Muslim Perspective: www.amperspective.com