Why the EU must stand firm on rule of law issues with Turkey

Under President Erdogan, Turkey has undergone a substantial degradation of its rule-of-law architecture in all relevant fields. One example of this is the continued imprisonment of philanthropist Osman Kavala, which is in violation of a 2019 judgment of the European Court of Human Rights.

This case could see the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers – which is meeting over the next few days – initiate infringement proceedings against Turkey.

Rule of law is also a thorny issue in the EU-Turkey relationship, as Ankara has repeatedly refused to entertain an open rule-of-law dialogue with Brussels.

Ambassador Marc Pierini joins us to discuss the steps the Council of Europe could take over the Osman Kavala case, how the degradation of rule of law in Turkey is impacting EU-Turkey relations, and why the EU must stand firm when it comes to rule of law issues and its core values and principles.

Pierini is a visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe, where his research focuses on developments in the Middle East and Turkey from a European perspective. Prior to this, Pierini was a career EU diplomat, and served as EU ambassador to Turkey (2006–2011).