Resolution CM/ResDH(2013)256
206 cases against Turkey
Execution of the of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (Gençel group)
(See Appendix for the list of cases)
(Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 5 December 2013
at the 1186th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies)
The Committee of Ministers, under the terms of Article 46, paragraph 2, of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which provides that the Committee supervises the execution of final judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (hereinafter “the Convention” and “the Court”),
Having regard to the final judgments transmitted by the Court to the Committee in these cases and to the violations established concerning the right to a fair trial on account of the lack of independence and impartiality of state security courts, and stressing that the Court considered in these judgments that the most appropriate form of redress for this violation would be to ensure that the applicants are granted a retrial by an independent and impartial tribunal (see § 27 in the Gençel case);
Recalling the respondent State’s obligation, under Article 46, paragraph 1, of the Convention, to abide by all final judgments in cases to which it has been a party and that this obligation entails, over and above the payment of any sums awarded by the Court, the adoption by the authorities of the respondent State, where required:
- of individual measures to put an end to violations established and erase their consequences so as to achieve as far as possible restitutio in integrum; and
- of general measures preventing similar violations;
Having invited the government of the respondent State to inform the Committee of the measures taken to comply with the above-mentioned obligation;
Recalling in this respect that the Committee has closely followed the developments regarding the taking of the necessary legislative measures within the context of the Hulki Güneş group of cases (see, in particular the interim resolutions adopted, ResDH(2005)113, CM/ResDH(2007)26 and CM/ResDH(2007)150);
Having examined the action report provided by the government indicating the measures adopted in order to give effect to the judgments including the information provided regarding the payment of the just satisfaction awarded by the Court (see document DH-DD(2013)1082);
Welcoming in particular the adoption of the legislative amendment by the Turkish Parliament on 11 April 2013 within the context of the “Fourth Reform Package” and noting that, as a consequence of this amendment, the applicants in the present group of cases may request, if they so wish, the reopening of proceedings in their cases;
Recalling that, as far as the other violations established in the present group of cases are concerned, the Committee closed the examination of issues related to excessive length of detention in police custody and absence of a domestic remedy (violations of Article 5 §§ 3 and 4) within the context of the Sakık and other case (see ResDH(2002)110) as well as issues related to the violation of right to freedom of expression on account of convictions under former article 8 of Anti-terrorism Law within the context of the Arslan case (see ResDH(2006)79);
Noting further in this respect that the Committee is currently examining the issues related to excessive length of proceedings and the lack of an effective remedy within the context of Ormancı and Kaplan group of cases and the issues related to excessive length of detention on remand within the context of Demirel group of cases;
Having satisfied itself that all the measures required by Article 46, paragraph 1, have been adopted,
DECLARES that it has exercised its functions under Article 46, paragraph 2, of the Convention in these cases and
DECIDES to close the examination thereof.
Appendix
Application
Case
Judgment of
Final on
53431/99
GENÇEL
23/10/2003
24/03/2004
39678/98
ACAR LEŞKER
22/06/2004
22/09/2004
55954/00
AKAR AND BEÇET
20/09/2005
20/12/2005
52656/99
AKBABA
17/01/2006
17/04/2006
59759/00
AKÇAKALE
25/05/2004
25/08/2004
65897/01
AKGÜL
16/01/2007
16/04/2007
59645/00
AKINTI AND OTHERS
15/02/2007
15/05/2007
52665/99
AKKAŞ ÇAĞLAR
23/10/03
24/03/04
41956/98
AKSAÇ
15/07/2004
15/10/2004
59234/00
AL AND OTHERS
13/11/03
24/03/04
66354/01
ALTUN ABDULLAH
19/10/2006
19/01/2007
63183/00
ASLAN BEDRI AND REŞIT
22/12/2005
22/03/2006
58055/00
ASLAN AND ŞANCI
05/12/2006
05/03/2007
59237/00
ASLAN MEHMET SALIH
15/07/2005
15/10/2005
62018/00
ASLAN MEHMET ŞERIF
03/05/2007
03/08/2007
1595/03
ASLAN TAMER AND OTHERS
02/06/2009
02/09/2009
62597/00
AYDIN RASIM
31/01/2008
30/04/2008
40297/98
AYDIN ŞEHMUZ
22/12/2004
22/03/2005
54501/00
AYDIN VOLKAN
10/11/2004
10/02/2005
41967/02
AYDOĞAN AND OTHERS
02/12/2008
02/03/2009
54275/00
AYTAN
20/09/2005
20/12/2005
63878/00
BALÇIK
26/04/2005
26/07/2005
46777/99
BARAN
23/01/2006
09/07/2007
64277/01
BAŞBOĞA
13/06/2006
13/09/2006
27709/02+
BAŞTIMAR AND OTHERS
03/04/2007
03/07/2007
57562/00
BECERIKLI AND ALTEKIN
08/01/2004
14/06/2004
65715/01
BENLI
20/02/2007
20/05/2007
60132/00
BORAK
05/12/2006
05/03/2007
46388/99
BOZKURT BILAL AND OTHERS
04/12/03
24/03/04
57345/00
BUDAK AND OTHERS
10/01/2006
10/04/2006
50282/99
BULUT ADEM AND OTHERS
02/03/2006
02/06/2006
49892/99
BULUT
22/11/2005
22/02/2006
55812/00
ÇALOĞLU VAHIT AND HILAN
29/07/2004
29/10/2004
38389/97
CAN MAHMUT
27/11/03
27/02/03
40395/98
CANEVI AND OTHERS
10/11/2004
10/02/2005
63354/00
CANPOLAT
15/02/2007
15/05/2007
70317/01
CANSEVEN
15/02/2007
15/05/2007
57019/00
ÇAPLIK HATIP
15/07/2005
15/10/2005
41580/98+
ÇAVUŞ AND BULUT
23/10/2003
24/03/2004
47757/99
ÇAVUŞOĞLU AND OTHERS
04/12/03
04/03/04
56835/00
ÇELIK AND OTHERS
20/04/2006
20/07/2006
61650/00
ÇELIK MEHMET
15/07/2005
15/10/2005
47115/99
ÇELIK ULAŞ
24/07/2007
24/10/2007
75573/01
ÇELIKER
02/10/2007
02/01/2008
57944/00
ÇETINKAYA AND OTHERS
18/12/2003
14/06/2004
59640/00
ÇIFTÇI EVRIM
29/11/2005
01/03/2006
48155/99
ÇINAR
15/01/2004
14/06/2004
52898/99
ÇOLAK No. 1
15/07/2004
15/10/2004
53530/99
ÇOLAK No. 2
15/07/2004
15/10/2004
225/02
ÇOMAK
10/10/2006
10/01/2007
51416/99
DALGIÇ
23/10/03
24/03/04
60262/00
DEMIR EBRU
22/11/2005
22/02/2006
55373/00
DEMIR FIKRI
11/04/2006
11/07/2006
42437/98
DINÇ RIZA
28/10/2004
02/02/2005
50193/99
DOĞAN AND KESER
24/06/2004
24/09/2004
49503/99
DOĞAN HALIL
29/01/2004
14/06/2004
62017/00
DOĞRU
10/11/2005
10/02/2006
29592/96
DOLAŞAN
18/01/2005
18/04/2005
34498/97
DÖNER
26/10/2004
26/01/2005
47654/99
DURAN OSMAN
04/12/03
04/03/04
40997/98
DURAN TAHIR
29/01/2004
14/06/2004
46506/99+
DURMAZ AND OTHERS
14/10/2004
14/01/2005
55913/00
DURMAZ HIDIR
05/12/2006
05/03/2007
44267/98
DURSUN AND OTHERS
04/12/03
04/03/04
43926/98
EPÖZDEMIR
28/10/2004
28/01/2005
52782/99
ERÇIKDI AND OTHERS
11/04/2006
11/07/2006
53895/00
ERDOĞAN MESUT
23/10/03
24/03/04
46106/99
EREN
23/10/03
24/03/04
52744/99
ERGÜL AND ENGIN
23/10/03
24/03/04
59769/00
EROĞLU
21/09/2006
21/12/2006
56021/00
EROLAN AND OTHERS
15/01/2004
14/06/2004
54814/00
EŞIDIR AND OTHERS
11/10/2005
11/01/2006
21865/02
EVCIMEN
29/11/2007
02/06/2008
64447/01
GARBUL
19/07/2007
19/10/2007
67634/01
GERÇEK
31/01/2008
07/07/2008
8126/02
GIÇ
21/07/2009
21/10/2009
71813/01
GÖCEKLI
21/12/2006
21/03/2007
49655/99
GÖKDERE AND GÜL
09/12/2004
09/03/2005
52746/99
GÜLER AND ÇALIŞKAN
21/12/2006
21/03/2007
60853/00
GÜLLÜ İBRAHIM
14/06/2007
14/09/2007
1889/04
GÜLLÜ
10/11/2005
15/02/2006
67483/01
GÜNDOĞAN No. 2
16/01/2007
16/04/2007
49240/99
GÜNDOĞDU
03/05/2007
03/08/2007
59997/00
GÜNDÜZ MÜSLÜM No. 2
12/07/2005
12/10/2005
47296/99
GÜNEL
27/11/03
27/02/03
53968/00
GÜNEŞ İSMAIL
13/11/03
13/02/04
46272/99
GÜNEŞ
22/04/2004
10/11/2004
1827/02+
GÜRSOY AND OTHERS
31/10/2006
31/01/2007
40528/98
GÜVEN AHMET AND OTHERS
22/01/2004
14/06/2004
37625/03
GÜVEN BIRTAN AND OTHERS
31/07/2007
31/10/2007
54479/00
GÜZEL No. 1
04/04/2006
04/07/2006
57343/00
HATUN AND OTHERS
20/10/2005
20/01/2006
54919/00
İÇÖZ
15/01/2004
14/06/2004
75603/01
İLDAN
26/06/2007
26/09/2007
58057/00
İREY
27/07/2004
27/10/2004
47340/99
JALALIAGHDAM
22/01/2004
14/06/2004
57939/00
KALYONCUGIL AND OTHERS
29/01/2004
14/06/2004
52691/99
KARABAŞ
21/07/2005
21/10/2005
56015/00
KARABULUT
24/01/2008
07/07/2008
64293/01
KARADUMANLI
30/09/2008
30/12/2008
45718/99
KARAKURT
20/09/2005
15/02/2006
60161/00
KARAOĞLAN
31/10/2006
31/01/2007
65942/01
KARATEPE MUSTAFA
29/11/2007
29/02/2008
41551/98
KARATEPE
31/07/2007
31/10/2007
59641/00
KARTAL AND KIZILDAĞ
08/04/2008
08/07/2008
69790/01
KAVAK
09/11/2006
09/02/2007
54335/00
KAYA AND OTHERS
24/06/2004
24/09/2004
2624/02
KAYA HIDIR
09/01/2007
09/04/2007
44054/98
KAYA İRFAN
22/01/2004
14/06/2004
57758/00
KAYMAZ AND OTHERS
28/10/2004
28/01/2005
52701/99+
KEÇECI
15/07/2005
15/10/2005
60574/00
KEKLIK
06/07/2006
06/10/2006
67215/01
KENAR
13/12/2007
13/03/2008
35363/02
KEPENEKLIOĞLU AND CANPOLAT
06/09/2005
06/12/2005
58058/00
KEZER AND OTHERS
24/01/2006
24/04/2006
40498/98
KILIÇ MURAT
30/09/2004
30/12/2004
48083/99
KILINÇ MÜKREMIN
15/03/2005
15/06/2005
44785/98
KIPER
23/05/2006
23/08/2006
76400/01
KIRANCI
26/06/2007
26/09/2007
48062/99
KIRCAN MUSTAFA
22/01/2004
14/06/2004
48263/99
KIRMAN
27/11/03
27/02/03
71354/01
KOÇ FEHMI
27/03/2007
27/06/2007
40991/98
KOÇAK KEMAL
19/07/2007
19/10/2007
49523/99
KONUK
22/06/2006
22/09/2006
50903/99
KORKMAZ
22/01/2004
14/06/2004
61648/00
KUTAL AND UĞRAŞ
13/06/2006
13/09/2006
42434/98
MUT
11/04/2006
11/07/2006
43818/98
N.K.
30/01/03
30/04/03
65887/01
OKUYUCU AND BILMEN
16/01/2007
16/04/2007
63357/00
ÖNCÜ AND OTHERS
29/11/2005
01/03/2006
64684/01
ÖNER AND OTHERS
25/10/2005
25/01/2006
44662/98
ÖZ AND YÜREKLI
19/07/2007
19/10/2007
50087/99
ÖZBEY MÜSLÜM
21/12/2006
21/03/2007
56006/00
ÖZCAN MEHMET AND OTHERS
11/10/2005
11/01/2006
55427/00
ÖZCAN SERDAR
08/04/2004
08/07/2004
46952/99
ÖZDEMIR HIDIR
15/01/2004
14/06/2004
42141/98
ÖZDEN
24/05/2005
24/08/2005
49707/99
ÖZDOĞAN
18/01/2005
18/04/2005
48059/99
ÖZER K. AND OTHERS
22/04/2004
22/07/2004
48438/99
ÖZERTIKOĞLU İSMAIL
22/01/2004
14/06/2004
58397/00
ÖZSOY
02/02/2006
02/05/2006
59244/00
ÖZTÜRK AYŞE
04/11/2004
04/02/2005
52695/99
ÖZTÜRK
20/09/2005
20/12/2005
51289/99
ÖZÜLKÜ
27/11/03
27/02/03
60177/00
ÖZÜPEK AND OTHERS
15/03/2005
15/06/2005
48617/99
ÖZYOL
23/10/03
24/03/04
49276/99
PEKER MEHMET
20/11/2007
31/03/2008
53014/99
PEKER
23/10/03
24/03/04
32489/03
POLAT HASAN
22/09/2009
22/12/2009
48065/99
POLAT METIN AND OTHERS
15/01/2004
14/06/2004
38422/97
REYHAN
21/07/2005
21/10/2005
54545/00
ŞAHINDOĞAN
30/11/2004
28/02/2005
57919/00
ŞAHMO
20/09/2005
20/12/2005
48054/99
SARIOĞLU
04/12/03
24/03/04
56016/00
SEÇKIN AND OTHERS
03/05/2007
03/08/2007
41968/98
SEKIN DURAN
02/02/2006
02/05/2006
63306/00
SEZER ZEKERIYA
29/11/2007
29/02/2008
50118/99
ŞIMŞEK
23/10/2003
24/03/2004
47328/99
ŞIRIN
15/03/2005
15/06/2005
50119/99
SÜVARIOĞULLARI AND OTHERS
23/10/03
24/03/04
13797/02
ŞUYUR
23/05/2006
23/08/2006
30452/96
TAKAK
01/04/2004
07/07/2004
45907/99
TANRIKOLU AND OTHERS
20/10/2005
12/04/2006
60011/00
TANRIKULU AND DENIZ
18/04/2006
18/07/2006
62877/00
TAŞ DEDE
10/11/2005
10/02/2006
48134/99
TAŞ YEŞIM
04/12/03
04/03/04
49517/99
TAŞKIN HÜSEYIN
04/12/03
04/03/04
48805/99
TAYDAŞ AND ÖZER
04/11/2004
04/02/2005
69515/01
TEKIN AND TAŞTAN
11/01/2005
11/04/2005
64570/01
TEKIN HALIS
19/07/2007
19/10/2007
52899/99
TEKIN MAHSUN
20/12/2005
20/03/2006
41990/98
TEMIRKAN
20/09/2005
20/12/2005
35070/97
TEZCAN UZUNHASANOĞLU
20/04/2004
20/07/2004
48060/99
TOKAY AND ULUS
23/03/2006
23/06/2006
57561/00
TOPRAK
08/01/04
08/04/04
48095/99
TÖRE NAZIF
14/04/2005
14/07/2005
42738/98
TUNCEL AND OTHERS
27/11/03
24/03/04
51053/99
TUTMAZ AND OTHERS
23/10/03
24/03/04
55951/00
UÇAR AND OTHERS
27/11/03
27/02/03
42775/98
ÜKÜNÇ AND GÜNEŞ
18/12/2003
14/06/2004
48616/99
ÜNAL SÜLEYMAN
10/11/2004
10/02/2005
48544/99
UZUN
20/04/2006
20/07/2006
46284/99
YANIKOĞLU
14/10/2004
14/01/2005
52661/99
YAVUZ KENAN
13/11/03
13/02/04
53586/99
YAVUZASLAN
22/04/2004
22/07/2004
57965/00
YAYAN İBRAHIM
20/04/2006
20/07/2006
50249/99
YEŞIL
01/07/2004
01/10/2004
52162/99
YEŞILTAŞ HÜSEYIN AND KAYA ZEKI
15/07/2005
15/10/2005
40518/98
YILDIRIM SÜLEYMAN
29/07/2004
29/10/2004
52164/99
YILDIZ AND OTHERS
21/07/2005
21/10/2005
26892/02
YILDIZ AND SEVINÇ
27/10/2009
27/01/2010
49156/99
YILDIZ BEKIR
06/09/2005
15/02/2006
58400/00
YILDIZ HÜSEYIN
25/10/2005
25/01/2006
47874/99
YILMAZ AND BARIM
22/06/2006
22/09/2006
57172/00
YILMAZ AND DURÇ
22/12/2005
22/03/2006
62319/00
YILMAZ FEYYAZ
15/07/2005
15/10/2005
50743/99
YILMAZ HAYRETTIN BARBAROS
23/10/2003
24/03/2004
53497/99
YILMAZ LEVENT CAN
21/07/2005
21/10/2005
47278/99
YILMAZ MAHMUT AND OTHERS
08/08/2006
08/11/2006
42552/98
YILMAZ MEHMET BÜLENT AND YILMAZ ŞAHIN
07/10/2004
07/01/2005
45733/99
YILMAZ METIN
22/12/2004
22/03/2005
48992/99
YILMAZ MURAT
24/06/2004
24/09/2004
66689/01
YILMAZ YILDIZ
11/10/2005
11/01/2006
62227/00
YÜKSEKTEPE
24/10/2006
26/03/2007
47628/99
YURTSEVER
02/02/2006
02/05/2006
60848/00
ZENGIN BÜLENT
29/11/2007
29/02/2008
EXECUTION OF THE GENCEL GROUP OF CASES
ACTION REPORT
FACTS
The cases in the Gencel Group concern violation of the applicants’ right to a fair trial by an independent and impartial court on account of the presence of a military judge on the bench of the state security courts which tried and convicted them. They relied on Article 6 § 1 (right to a fair trial by an independent and impartial court) of the Convention. The precedent judgment in the case of Gencel v. Turkey became final on 24 March 2004 and currently 206 judgments are being supervised by Committee of Ministers under this group.
JUDGMENTS
The Court held unanimously that there had been a violation of Article 6 § 1.
INDIVIDUAL MEASURES
Just satisfaction
The just satisfaction amounts awarded by the Court have been paid to the applicants in due time and relevant documents indicating payment have been submitted to the Department for the Execution of the Court Judgments.
Other Individual Measures
The Court considered that where an individual was convicted by a domestic court which did not meet the Convention requirements of independence and impartiality, a retrial or a reopening of the case, if so requested, represented in principle an appropriate way of redress for the violation.
The reopening of judicial proceedings has been an existing legal remedy in the Turkish legal system. However, the applicants’ proceedings in the Gencel Group of cases could be reopened due to an exceptional time restriction provided under Article 311 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
A provisional article has been added to the Code of Criminal Procedure by “The Law Amending Certain Laws in the Context of Human Rights and Freedom of Expression” (hereinafter “the Law”), which is known in Turkey as the “Fourth Judicial Reform Package”. It was adopted by the Turkish Parliament on 11 April 2013 and came into force on 30 April 2013.
The above-mentioned provisional article has made it possible for the applicants to request the reopening of proceedings in all relevant cases that have been under the supervision of the Committee of Ministers as of 15 June 2012. Accordingly, retrial requests could be made within three months following the entry into force of the Law. Therefore it has been possible for all applicants in the Gencel Group of cases to request the reopening of proceedings.
The Law was published on the Official Gazette in 30 April 2013. It received broad media coverage during its legislative process and thereafter. Consequently, the content of the Law is well known by the public and should be known by the applicants in these cases as well.
GENERAL MEASURES
Translation and Publication of the Judgment
The judgments in the Gencel Group of cases have been translated into Turkish and published on the official website of the Human Rights Department of the Ministry of Justice.
These judgments are available at .
The translated judgments have been disseminated to the relevant institutions such as the Ministry of Interior, the Court of Cassation, the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors and the Justice Academy, as well as to the domestic courts that have rendered the judgments.
EXECUTION
The Gencel Group of cases present similarities to the judgment in the case of Çıraklar v. Turkey (28 October 1998) which was closed by a final resolution, DH(99)555, following the legislative and constitutional amendments changing the composition of state security courts and ending the functions of military judges and military prosecutors in these courts. The Parliament subsequently approved a constitutional amendment on 7 May 2004, abolishing state security courts. Consequently the Government considers that there is no further general measure which needs to be taken for the execution of the Gencel group of cases.
Additionally, the Court has unanimously declared the case of Hulki Güneş v. Turkey (17210/09) inadmissible on 2 July 2013. The Court observed that “a new law enacted by Turkey on 11 April 2013 allowed the reopening of those cases against Turkey in which the European Court of Human Rights had found a violation of the Convention and in respect of which execution proceedings had been pending before the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 15 June 2012”. Under the Law, the applicant had the possibility to request the reopening of the proceedings within three months of its entry into force, that is, from 30 April 2013. The Court therefore considered that the complaint was manifestly ill-founded and declared it inadmissible.
13.In the light of the submissions made above, the Government maintains that Turkey has taken the necessary individual and general measures for the execution of the judgments in the Gencel Group cases and kindly invites the Committee of Ministers to close their examination.
Full & Egal Universal Law Academy