The new Turkey |
26-Dec-2020 |
Complaint Mechanism Against Measures of the State of Emergency11
![]() |
25 December 2020:
Turkey extends tenure of state of emergency commission for another year
Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) government declared a state of emergency in the aftermath of the failed coup on July 15, 2016 that remained in effect until July 19, 2018. The commission, known as the OHAL commission, was normally serve for two years and conclude all complaints filed; however, the commission will have served for five years with the new extension, leading to criticism that its existence delays people’s access to the justice system. During the state of emergency, the AKP issued a number of government decrees, known as KHKs, through which more than 130,000 public servants including academics, politicians, teachers, doctors, officials, businessmen, artists and journalists were purged due to their real or alleged connections to the Gülen movement. Read the full article OHAL commission had rejected 88,700 out of 126,300 applications by end of 2019
The commission said it is continuing to assess the remaining 28,000 applications. A total of 98,300 applications have been adjudicated by the commission thus far, of which only 9,600 have been concluded in favor of the applicants. Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) government declared a state of emergency in the aftermath of a failed coup on July 15, 2016 that remained in effect until July 19, 2018. During the state of emergency, the AKP issued a number of government decrees, known as KHKs, through which thousands of academics, politicians, teachers, doctors, officials, businessmen, artists and journalists were purged due to their real or alleged connections to the Gülen movement, which is accused by the government of being behind the failed coup. The movement strongly denies any involvement. According to the report, a total of 125,678 people were removed from state posts while 270 students were expelled from their schools and 2,761 organizations were closed down after the coup attempt. Turkey extends state of emergency commission mandate for a year
A presidential decree published on Thursday extended the term of a commission set up by the government to examine complaints from individuals who were adversely affected by government decree laws during a two-year state of emergency (OHAL) in Turkey, the Diken news website reported. The commission still has some 28,000 cases to review, according to the report. It has received a total of 126,300 applications, of which it has delivered rulings on 98,300, or 78 percent. Of the cases reviewed, the commission has only approved 9,600. Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government declared a state of emergency in the wake of a failed coup on July 15, 2016 that remained in effect until July 19, 2018. During the state of emergency, the government issued a series of government decrees, known as KHKs, through which thousands of academics, politicians, teachers, doctors, other public sector workers, businesspeople, artists and journalists were purged over real or alleged ties to the faith-based Gülen movement, which is accused by the government of being behind the failed coup. The movement strongly denies any involvement in it. The commission accepts complaints regarding dismissal from public service, jobs or organizations; dismissal from university and the loss of student status; closure of associations, organizations, unions, federations, confederations, private health institutions, private education institutions, private institutions of higher education, private radio and TV organizations, newspapers and magazines, news agencies, publication houses and distribution channels; and the loss of retiree ranking through government decrees. The Ministry of Justice announced in 2017 that with the establishment of the commission, some 12,600 cases that were awaiting review at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) had been dropped by the court. Critics expressed suspicion over the commission’s ability to serve justice. Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Şenal Sarıhan in July 2017 claimed that the commission was a “stillborn child.” “This is also a deception of the ECtHR which thinks this is a functioning domestic remedy. With this regulation, people are both prevented from getting results from the ECtHR and making individual applications at Turkey’s Constitutional Court,” Sarıhan added. The commission has been described by İbrahim Kaboğlu, a prominent constitutional law professor who is also a purge victim, as the AKP’s “gas chamber.”
Turkey releases details of state of emergency moves “Classification, registration and archiving of a total of 470,000 files [...] have been completed,” the commission said in a statement. --Some 125,678 people were dismissed from public service, 3,213 people annulled of their ranks, and 270 student scholarships cancelled. The applicants can track their appeals on the commission's website. 10 November 2018: Applications of 39,000 out of 42,000 purge victims rejected by OHAL commissionA commission set up by the Turkish government to look into complaints from individuals who were affected by government decrees during a state of emergency (OHAL) in Turkey has so far rejected 42,000 applications out of the 39,000 it has processed since its establishment in summer 2017, according to a statement from the commission on Friday. The commission said it has received 125,000 applications so far since its establishment and continues to assess the remaining 83,000. Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) government declared a state of emergency in the aftermath of a failed coup attempt in the country on July 15, 2016 that remained in effect until July 19, 2018. During the state of emergency, the AKP issued a number of government decrees, known as KHKs, through which thousands of academics, politicians, teachers, doctors, officials, businessmen, artists and journalists were purged due to their real or alleged connections to the faith-based Gülen movement, which is accused by the government of being behind the failed coup. The movement strongly denies any involvement in the abortive putsch. The commission accepts complaints regarding dismissal from the civil service, jobs or organizations; dismissal from university and the loss of student status; the closure of associations, organizations, unions, federations, confederations, private health institutions, private education institutions, private institutions of higher education, private radio and TV organizations, newspapers and magazines, news agencies, publication houses and distribution channels; and the loss of retiree ranking through government decrees. Individuals whose applications have been rejected by the OHAL commission have the right, within 60 days, to file a case at the Ankara 19th and 20th administrative courts for cancellation of the decisions of the OHAL commission. |
![]() |