A Turkish court has ordered the release of the local chairman of Amnesty International, the rights group said Wednesday.
Taner Kilic had been imprisoned for more than a year on terror-related charges. He was accused of supporting U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara blames for a failed coup in July 2016.
The decision to release Kilic came one day after a Turkish court released two jailed Greek soldiers, raising prospects for warmer relations between Turkey and the European Union.
The EU had condemned Kilic's jailing, citing what it believed was a heavy-handed approach to enforcing the law in Turkey, a candidate for entry into the EU.
Kilic was one of several human rights activists who were swept up in Turkey's nationwide crackdown following the failed coup.
Amnesty International's new secretary-general, Kumi Naido, applauded Kilic's pending release but said the fight for human rights in Turkey would continue.
"Today we take a moment to celebrate, but tomorrow our struggle will continue, re-energized by the example set by Taner himself: a man who knows the importance of human rights and is willing to dedicate his life to defending them," he said.
