Turkey's decision to postpone the execution of the...

Turkey's decision to postpone the execution of the death sentence given to Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, until the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decides on his case was welcomed by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Wolfgang Schuessel, Austria's foreign minister and term President of the OSCE, said that Turkey's positive decision was a very important development following successful OSCE and European Union summits. Schuessel emphasised that there was no place for capital punishment in an order of law with European standards.