He did not stop at 'let him speak in Parliament': Here is the 'right to hope' Bahçeli mentioned for terrorist leader Abdullah Öcalan

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli made statements that dominated the agenda during his party's group meeting.

Having issued a call last week to Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the terrorist organization PKK, Bahçeli stepped up his rhetoric this time.

"I am also addressing those who say 'nothing will come of this if the terrorist leader is not involved'" said Bahçeli, adding, "If the isolation of the terrorist leader is lifted, let him come and speak at the DEM Party group meeting in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Let him declare that terrorism has completely ended and the organization has been disbanded."

Bahçeli, who wants Öcalan to speak in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, then touched upon the 'Right to Hope' and said the following:

"If he shows this resolve and determination, let the path be wide open for the necessary legal arrangements regarding the use of the 'Right to Hope' and for him to benefit from it. Neither Kandil nor Edirne; let the address extend from Imralı to DEM, and let this heavy and historical terror problem be completely removed from the country's agenda. I challenge you, we are ready for this; for the sake of the homeland, the nation, the state, the flag, a common future, and full independence, we are ready to endure even this to the end."

The 'right to hope' mentioned in Bahçeli's speech has become a subject of curiosity.

WHAT IS THE RIGHT TO HOPE?

The Right to Hope is a right that allows prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment or aggravated life imprisonment to have the hope of being released after their situation is reviewed after a certain period of time. 

This right is based on the principle that the execution of a sentence should not only be about punishment, but also about the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners into society.

WHO BENEFITS FROM THE RIGHT TO HOPE?

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) evaluates the right to hope within the scope of human dignity and the prohibition of inhuman treatment. For example, it has drawn attention with its rulings that prisoners' sentences should be reviewed at certain intervals and that depriving them of the hope of release could be considered a human rights violation. 

Prisoners sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment or life imprisonment can benefit from the right to hope under certain conditions.

The right to hope is not applied automatically to all prisoners. The possibility of release for those convicted of serious crimes at the end of their sentence is evaluated by taking into account their good conduct and rehabilitation processes. 

In this context, international documents such as the United Nations' Nelson Mandela Rules also emphasize that the hope of release must be preserved to ensure that prisoners lead a life with dignity.