Freedom for Ali Fikri Işık
Rally, March 6, 2013 in Istanbul
(06.03.2013) International agreements duly put into effect bear the force of law. In the case of a conflict between international agreements in the area of fundamental rights and freedoms duly put into effect and the domestic laws due to differences in provisions on the same matter, the provisions of international agreements shall prevail. Conscientious objector Ali Fikri Işık, was detained and arrested on 9th June 2012 in a hotel in Diyarbekir for being a 'draft-dodger'. Işık, who served 4.5 months in the Edirne Military Prison, and who has declared his conscientious objection in Kurdish in the military court, has continued to refuse the draft also after his release, but has appeared in court whenever sessions of his trial have been held. The military hospital, where he was sent, reported that Işık was 'suitable for military service'.