THIRD SECTION
FINAL DECISION
Application no. 42820/98
by Yusuf SARI and Others
against Turkey
The European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), sitting on 23 October 2003 as a Chamber composed of:
MrG. Ress, President,
MrI. Cabral Barreto,
MrL. Caflisch,
MrR. Türmen,
MrB. Zupančič,
MrsH.S. Greve,
MrK. Traja, judges,
and Mr V. Berger, Section Registrar,
Having regard to the above application lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights on 24 July 1998,
Having regard to Article 5 § 2 of Protocol No. 11 to the Convention, by which the competence to examine the application was transferred to the Court,
Having regard to the partial decision of 23 November 1999,
Having regard to the formal declarations accepting a friendly settlement of the case submitted by the applicants and the Government on 9 September 2002 and 15 July 2003 respectively,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
THE FACTS
The applicants, Ahmet Göknur, Mehmet Göknur, Ayşe Özar, Ali Göknur, Teslime Akkuş, Celal Oğuz, Mustafa Özgökmen, Hasan Hüseyin Taşkın and Mr Yusuf Sarı, are Turkish nationals. They are represented before the Court by Mr A. Akıllıoğlu and Mr A. Aktay, lawyers practising in Ankara.
The facts of the case, as submitted by the parties, may be summarised as follows.
The General Directorate of National Roads and Highways expropriated plots of land belonging to the applicants in İçel in order to build the Tarsus-İçel-Çukurova-İskenderun Motorway. A committee of experts assessed the value of the plots of land belonging to the applicants and these amounts were paid to them when the expropriation took place.
Following the applicants’ requests for increased compensation, the national courts awarded them additional compensation plus an interest at the statutory rate of 30 % per annum. The applicants appealed and the Court of Cassation upheld the decision of the first instance court. In the beginning of 1998 the due amounts were paid to the applicants respectively.
Details are indicated in the table below:
NAMES OF THE APPLICANTS
DATE OF TRANSFER OF TITLE DEED TO THE LAND
DATE OF FINAL DECISION BY COURT OF CASSATION AS REGARDS ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION
AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION
(interests and legal costs are not included)
(in turkish liras)
DATE OF PAYMENT
1. Ahmet GÖKNUR
Mehmet GÖKNUR
Ayşe ÖZAR
Ali GÖKNUR
Teslime AKKUŞ
16.10.1992
12.09.1994
40.000.000
06.02.1998
2. Celal OĞUZ
08.09.1993
20.10.1994
15.000.000
06.02.1998
3. Mustafa ÖZGÖKMEN
27.01.1992
27.05.1993
38.496.376
06.02.1998
4. Hasan Hüseyin TAŞKIN
11.09.1993
02.02.1995
65.435.000
11.02.1998
5. Yusuf SARI
27.01.1993
02.05.1994
45.381.000
11.02.1998
COMPLAINTS
The applicants allege that the rate of interest applied in the calculation of the additional compensation for expropriation was too low. They also complain of the delays in obtaining their compensation. In this regard they invoke Article 1 of Protocol No 1 and Article 6 of the Convention.
THE LAW
Following informal contacts between the applicants’ and the Government’s representatives, the Section Registrar was asked to assist the parties in reaching a solution to the matter. As a result, the Registrar addressed draft declarations to the parties.
The Court received the following declaration from the Government:
“I declare that the Government of Turkey offer to 9,350 (nine thousand three hundred and fifty) euros to Mr Ahmet Göknur, Mr Mehmet Göknur, Ms Ayşe Özar, Mr Ali Göknur, Ms Teslime Akkuş, Mr Celal Oğuz, Mr Mustafa Özgökmen, Mr Hasan Hüseyin Taşkın and Mr Yusuf Sarı[1] with a view to securing a friendly settlement of the application registered under no. 42820/98. This sum shall cover any pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage as well as costs and will be divided up as follows:
Ahmet Göknur, Mehmet Göknur, Ayşe Özar,
Ali Göknur, Teslime Akkuş1,400 EUR
Celal Oğuz 450 EUR
Mustafa Özgökmen4,000 EUR
Hasan Hüseyin Taşkın1,500 EUR
Yusuf Sarı2,000 EUR
This sum will be payable within three months from the date of the decision by the Court ... This sum shall be paid in euros to a bank account named by the applicants, free of any taxes and charges that may be applicable. The payment will constitute the final resolution of the case.”
The Court received the following declaration from one of the representatives of the applicants:
“I note that the Government of Turkey are prepared to pay the sum pay 9,350 (nine thousand three hundred and fifty) euros covering pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs to Mr Ahmet Göknur, Mr Mehmet Göknur, Ms Ayşe Özar, Mr Ali Göknur, Ms Teslime Akkuş, Mr Celal Oğuz, Mr Mustafa Özgökmen, Mr Hasan Hüseyin Taşkın and Mr Yusuf Sarı with a view to securing a friendly settlement of application no. 42820/98 pending before the Court. This sum will be divided up as follows:
Ahmet Göknur, Mehmet Göknur, Ayşe Özar,
Ali Göknur, Teslime Akkuş1,400 EUR
Celal Oğuz 450 EUR
Mustafa Özgökmen4,000 EUR
Hasan Hüseyin Taşkın1,500 EUR
Yusuf Sarı2,000 EUR
I also note that this sum will be payable within three months from the date of the decision by the Court ... This sum shall be paid in euros to a bank account named by the applicants, free of any taxes and charges that may be applicable.
I accept the proposal and waive any further claims against Turkey in respect of the facts of this application. I declare that this constitutes a final settlement of the case.
This declaration is made in the context of a friendly settlement which the Government and the applicants have reached.”
After informing the Government, the Court took into consideration the applicant’s representative’s request of 9 September 2002 to make corrections to some of the applicants’ names in the above declarations.
The Court takes note of the agreement reached between the parties. It is satisfied that the settlement is based on respect for human rights as defined in the Convention or its Protocols and considers that there is no reason which would justify the continuation of the examination of the application (Article 37 § 1 in fine of the Convention and Rule 62 § 3 of the Rules of the Court).
For these reasons, the Court unanimously
Decides to disjoin the applications;
Decides to strike the application out of its list of cases.
Vincent BergerGeorg Ress
RegistrarPresident
[1] Taking into consideration the letter sent by the applicant’s representative on 9 September 2002, the name of one of the applicant, namely Ali Göknur, has been corrected.
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