Ocalan verdict puts pressure on Turkey

KURDISH rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan did not receive a fair trial in Turkey, Europe's top human rights court ruled yesterday in a decision that will put pressure on Ankara as it prepares for membership negotiations with the EU.

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg ruled that Turkish authorities breached international treaties by denying Ocalan the right to a fair and independent trial and barring his legal representative from contacting him after he was detained.

It awarded his legal representatives €120,000 for legal costs and expenses.