ERBIL () - The main Kobani case for which former Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş was sentenced has been placed under legal review by Ankara’s Regional Court of Appeals, adding a new judicial development to a case that has drawn renewed attention following recent legal and political statements in Türkiye.
On Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, the case was transferred to the Ankara Regional Court of Appeals following a first-instance court ruling in Türkiye. It is now being examined and reviewed by a judicial panel.
The development comes alongside preparations by Turkish authorities for possible amendments to penal law and follows remarks by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli regarding Demirtaş’s possible release.
The latest judicial development follows Türkiye’s parliament announcing on Aug. 10 that it had approved a “Framework Law.”
The legislation has opened a new debate over whether Demirtaş and other prisoners in the same case could benefit from the new legal framework, including through possible release or a reduction in their sentences.
At the same time, Mehmet Uçum, a senior adviser to the Turkish president, announced that preparations had begun for a “new organization of penal law.” The announcement has drawn attention from legal and political circles in the country.
Bahçeli, the leader of the MHP, also made remarks concerning Demirtaş, describing his release as a step that would be “useful and beneficial” for Türkiye.
The remarks by a key ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have added a new dimension to the debate surrounding the case.
The developments in Ankara are also taking place as the Council of Europe continues to examine Türkiye’s legal framework concerning aggravated life imprisonment and the “right to hope” for prisoners.
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, which oversees the implementation of judgments by the European Court of Human Rights, has placed the case known as the “Gurban Group” concerning Türkiye on the agenda of its December meetings, according to the work program announced by the committee.
Under the approved schedule, the matter is listed for discussion during the committee’s human rights meeting in December, following decisions adopted at its 1569th meeting on Dec. 15 and 16, 2026.
The Committee of Ministers last discussed the case with Türkiye during its September 2025 meeting and called on Ankara to amend legislation concerning aggravated life imprisonment in a manner that would provide prisoners with a “hope of release.”
It also requested detailed information and an action plan from Türkiye by the end of June 2026, with a new interim decision expected during the December meeting.
The Council of Europe’s review coincides with continued attention to the possibility of Demirtaş’s release and the ongoing judicial proceedings surrounding his case.
Demirtaş, a former co-chair of the HDP, has been held at Edirne Prison in northwestern Türkiye since Nov. 4, 2016.
During the years since his detention, his legal proceedings have continued before domestic courts in Türkiye, while his case has also been addressed through judgments and proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights, which has repeatedly called for his immediate release.
His main Kobani case was transferred to Ankara’s Regional Court of Appeals following the first-instance ruling and is now under review by the court.
The combination of the ongoing judicial review, the recently approved Framework Law, preparations for a new organization of penal law, and statements from senior political figures has placed renewed attention on the next legal decision concerning Demirtaş.
