SECOND SECTION
Application no. 43452/12
Ahmet DAĞTEKİN
against Turkey
lodged on 13 June 2012
STATEMENT OF FACTS
The applicant, Mr Ahmet Dağtekin, is a Turkish national, who was born in 1960 and lives in Şanlıurfa. He is represented before the Court by Ms K. Yılmaz and Ms R. Yalcındağ Baydemir, both lawyers practising in Diyarbakır.
A. The circumstances of the case
The facts of the case, as submitted by the applicant, may be summarised as follows.
The applicant was the deputy mayor of Ceylanpınar district in Şanlıurfa at the time of the events.
On 21 July 2004 the applicant made a speech concerning the general problems of Kurdish people and praised the imprisoned leader of the PKK (Kurdish Workers’ Party, an illegal organisation), by using the honorary term “sayın”, meaning esteemed.
Subsequently, criminal proceedings were brought against the applicant by the Suruç Public Prosecutor. On 23 September 2008 the Diyarbakır Assize Court found the applicant guilty of the offence of making terrorist propaganda on behalf of an illegal organisation, the PKK, under Article 7 § 2 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, and sentenced him to one year’s imprisonment.
On 19 December 2011 the Court of Cassation upheld the first-instance court’s judgment.
B. Relevant domestic law
A full description of the relevant domestic law may be found in Faruk Temel v. Turkey, no. 16853/05, §§ 26-27, 1st February 2011.
COMPLAINT
The applicant contended under Article 10 of the Convention that the institution of criminal proceedings against him for making a speech constituted an unjustified interference with his right to freedom of expression.
ITMarkFactsComplaintsEND
QUESTION TO THE PARTIES
Has there been a violation of the applicant’s right to freedom of expression, in particular his right to impart ideas, within the meaning of Article 10 of the Convention? (see Faruk Temel v. Turkey, no. 16853/05, 1st February 2011)?
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