Gul: I Hope That Echr Will Make A Decision About Ocalan Which Can Be Accepted By Turkish People

BUCHAREST (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday, ''I hope that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) will make a decision about Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the terrorist organization of PKK, which can be accepted by Turkish people.''
     Gul, who is currently in Romanian capital Bucharest to attend Southeast European Countries Cooperation Process meeting, told reporters, ''Ocalan is the head of a terrorist organization which committed many crimes. Those crimes are well known by the whole world. Even if he is tried for hundred times, Ocalan will be sentenced to the same punishment. I hope that the ECHR will make a decision about Ocalan which can be accepted by Turkish people.''
     The ECHR will be holding a public hearing on May 12th to deliver a Grand Chamber judgment regarding the case of Ocalan.
     Lawyers of Ocalan lodged an application with the ECHR on February 16th, 1999. In its judgment of March 12th, 2003, the Court held that there had been a violation of Article 6 concerning the right to a fair trial, Article 5 on lawful detention and Article 3 on degrading treatment, on account of the fact that the death penalty had been imposed (on Ocalan) after an unfair trial.
     (UK-MS)
2005-05-10