| | | | Speaking in an interview with television station NTV Thursday after the ECHR ruled that the former leader of the terrorist group the PKK had not received a fair trial, ex-chief prosecutor Talat Şalk said if Turkey was forced to retry Öcalan it would be a political decision, not one based on law.
“If Öcalan is tried one thousand times he would get the same sentence,” Şalk said.
In 1999, Öcalan was convicted of treason and leading an armed insurrection and sentenced to death. However, this was later converted to life imprisonment without remission after Turkey banned the death penalty.
Forcing Turkey to pass new legal regulation in order to retry Ocalan would only serve to belittle the country, he said. Şalk called on Europe to think about this verdict as it would only serve to cause trouble in Turkey.
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PM calls on calmness and common sense on Öcalan verdict
