Give Osman Kavala the Nobel Peace Prize

Kavala’s unflappable and understated advocacy long ago got under Erdoğan’s skin. After U.S. sanctions compelled Erdoğan to release American hostage Pastor Andrew Brunson, the Turkish president turned his venom on Kavala. He accused Kavala of being a “terror financier.” Erdoğan once asked, “And who is behind him?” and then answered his own question with, “The famous Hungarian Jew Soros.” The Turkish president then launched legal proceedings against one of Kavala’s privately-held cultural and arts foundations on the bizarre charge that it failed to maximize profits. Even though a Turkish court acquitted Kavala of bogus terror charges for allegedly financing the Gezi Park protests and the European Court of Human Rights called for his release, Kavala remains imprisoned and in solitary confinement. Hours after his acquittal, Erdoğan’s regime slapped new charges on Kavala of “attempting to overthrow the constitutional order.” This is especially ironic given Kavala’s dedication to ensuring all Turkish citizens enjoy equality under the law, regardless of their ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. In early September, a Turkish court prolonged Kavala’s detention. He now faces life without parole. Two weeks later, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers warned that unless Ankara releases Kavala, the committee will initiate infringement proceedings—a strong but rarely-used enforcement mechanism that the council deploys against its members that fail to implement the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.

There could be no more deserving Nobel Peace laureate than Kavala. He has put his fortune and life on the line for peace and equality. While Erdoğan might bluster and threaten, his surrender on the Brunson case shows his susceptibility to pressure. As modern Turkey approaches its centenary, Erdoğan continues to consolidate one-man rule at home and increasingly acts with belligerence across the Middle East and Africa. Simply put, Erdoğan has become a growing threat to peace at home and abroad. But Turkey is more than just Erdoğan. By giving Kavala the Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee could give voice to Turkey’s diverse citizenry and diaspora that truly seek, as Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk once said, “Peace at home, peace in the world.”