Defiance of European Court Judgments and Erosion of Judicial Independence: Türkiye’s Challenge to EU Founding Values and Rule of Law Standards

Human Rights Watch, the International Commission of Jurists, and Turkey Human Rights Litigation Support Project published a joint briefing on Türkiye’s rule of law crisis. The briefing recounts the state’s persistent failure to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights: Among the most frequent violations are “Articles 5 (liberty and security), 6 (fair trial), 10 (freedom of expression), and 11 (freedom of assembly and association).” The briefing also underscores that Türkiye fails to enforce the binding decisions of the European Court of Human Rights: For instance, defying the Court’s rulings, Türkiye continues to arbitrarily detain several opposition figures. The briefing urges the EU to act, citing the Union’s obligations to advance human rights in its external relations under Articles 21 and 3 of the EU Treaty.