ECHR TAKES TESTIMONY OF APPLICANTS, WITNESSES AND TURKISH OFFICIALS DURING ANKARA HEARINGS
Press Release (Cases Update): 26 April 1996
The European Commission conducted hearing in Ankara from 15-19 April on six
cases that it had previously declared Admissible. The Commission hearings
aimed to gather further information on allegations of forced eviction, torture
and ill-treatment, and destruction of property made against the Turkish government.
The Commission heard testimony from applicants, villagers, relatives of applicants,
Turkish public prosecutors and gendarmerie officers.
KHRP and the Human Rights Association of Turkey have assisted these individuals in taking grievances to the ECHR in Strasbourg. These cases are pursued in order to promote accountability and the rule of law in Turkey. To date, 54 KHRP assisted cases have been declared Admissible by the European Commission. Over 400 individuals have been helped with cases before the ECHR by the Project. The Commission will decide what steps will next be taken in each of these cases. In some instance there may be further hearings in Turkey and/or Strasbourg; in other cases, the Commission delegates may prepare a report on the facts established.
The Commission heard testimony on the following cases last week
A. A. and B. ISIYOK v. Turkey (22309/93): The applicants allege that on 12 January 1993, Turkish security forces carried out a bombing raid on their hamlet, Cekiraek in Diyarbakir province, which resulted in the deaths of relatives and the destruction of their property.
Hasan ILHAN v. Turkey (22494/93): This application, declared admissible in 1994, deals with allegations that security forces destroyed the applicant's house, possessions and vineyards and forced him to leave his hamlet, Kaynak on Mardin province.
Emine YILMAZ v. Turkey (23179/94), Mizgin OVAT v. Turkey
(23180/94), Halit SAHIN v. Turkey (23181/94), and Rabia DUNDAR v. Turkey (23182/94):
The applicants in these cases allege that the security forces burned their
homes and possessions in the Pecar village in Diyarbakir province in June
1993.
Please e-mail KHRP at khrp@khrp.org, to be placed on our Press Release mailing list.
For further information please contact: Kerim Yildiz, Executive Director / Fiona McKay, Deputy Director / Sally Eberhardt, Public Relations Officer Kurdish Human Rights Project on the address below.
