PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 27225/02) against the Republic of Turkey lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by Mr İlhami Erseven, Mr Hikmet Yıldırım, Mr Veli Ateş, Mr İsmail Öztorun, Mr Ellez Duman, Mr İsmail Kaya, Mr Kenan Atakul, Mr Süleyman Çetinkaya and Mr Bekir Arslan (“the applicants”), on 22 April 2002.

The applicants were represented by Mr Fevzi Gümüş, a lawyer practising in Ankara. The Turkish Government (“the Government”) did not designate an Agent for the purposes of the proceedings before the Court.

On 13 June 2006 the Court declared the application partly inadmissible and decided to communicate the complaint concerning the alleged breach of the applicants' right to a fair hearing to the Government. Under the provisions of Article 29 § 3 of the Convention, it decided to examine the merits of the application at the same time as its admissibility.

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicants, who were born in 1954, 1957, 1961, 1965, 1960, 1956, 1959, 1964 and 1958 respectively, live in Ankara, Izmir, Istanbul and Çorum. They were members of the executive and auditors boards of the Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Association (“the Association”), a non‑governmental organisation with its headquarters in Ankara.

On 15 November 2000 officers from the Ankara governor's office carried out an inspection at the headquarters of the Association. They found that the members of the executive board had failed to establish a membership registration book and that the members of the auditors board had failed to conduct a periodical inspection of the Association, in breach of Articles 62 and 29 of the Law on Associations (Law no. 2908).

On 21 November 2000 officers from the Ankara Security Directorate also conducted an inspection of the registers of the association and discovered a number of defects. The Security Directorate then requested an investigation against the members of the executive and auditors boards of the association.

On an unspecified date, the Ankara public prosecutor imposed a fine of 92,510,0000 Turkish Liras (TRL) per person on the members of the executive and auditors boards of the Association.

On 15 January 2001 a payment order was served on the members of the executive and auditors boards who, however, did not pay the fine within the statutory ten-day time-limit.

Subsequently, on 17 April 2001 the Ankara public prosecutor filed a bill of indictment against the applicants, along with seventeen other persons who were also members of the executive and auditors boards of the Association. The public prosecutor requested that the accused be sentenced to a fine, under Article 86 of the Law on Associations and Article 119 § 5 of the Criminal Code, for their failure to comply with Articles 29 and 62 of the same Law.

On 11 September 2001 the Ankara Magistrates' Court (sulh ceza mahkemesi) found the applicants and the other co-accused guilty as charged and, by issuing an order (ceza kararnamesi), sentenced them to an increased fine of TRL 136,890,0000 per person.

On 8, 9, 12 and 22 October 2001, the applicants filed objections against the decision of 11 September 2001. In their petitions, the applicants maintained that they had been deprived of the opportunity to make defence submissions and that, therefore, they did not receive a fair trial.

The Ankara Criminal Court of First Instance (asliye ceza mahkemesi) dismissed the applicants' objections on the following dates:

11 October 2001 in respect of İlhami Erseven, Bekir Aslan, Süleyman Çetinkaya and İsmail Kaya;0

15 October 2001 in respect of İsmail Öztorun;

22 October 2001 in respect of Kenan Atakul and Hikmet Yıldırım; and

30 October 2001 in respect of Ellez Duman.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e1
001-84618_a1_em1
CODE
DIRECT
27225/02
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e2
001-84618_a1_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Turkey
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e3
001-84618_a1_em3
PERSON
DIRECT
Mr İlhami Erseven
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e4
001-84618_a1_em4
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Hikmet Yıldırım
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001-84618_a1_e5
001-84618_a1_em5
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Veli Ateş
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check
001-84618_a1_e6
001-84618_a1_em6
PERSON
QUASI
Mr İsmail Öztorun
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e7
001-84618_a1_em7
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Ellez Duman
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e8
001-84618_a1_em8
PERSON
QUASI
Mr İsmail Kaya
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e9
001-84618_a1_em9
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Kenan Atakul
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e10
001-84618_a1_em10
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Süleyman Çetinkaya
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e11
001-84618_a1_em11
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Bekir Arslan
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e12
001-84618_a1_em12
DATETIME
QUASI
22 April 2002
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check
001-84618_a1_e13
001-84618_a1_em13
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Fevzi Gümüş
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e14
001-84618_a1_em14
LOC
NO_MASK
Ankara
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e15
001-84618_a1_em15
ORG
NO_MASK
Turkish Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e16
001-84618_a1_em16
DATETIME
QUASI
13 June 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e17
001-84618_a1_em17
DATETIME
QUASI
1954
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e18
001-84618_a1_em18
DATETIME
QUASI
1957
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e19
001-84618_a1_em19
DATETIME
QUASI
1961
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e20
001-84618_a1_em20
DATETIME
QUASI
1965
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e21
001-84618_a1_em21
DATETIME
QUASI
1960
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e22
001-84618_a1_em22
DATETIME
QUASI
1956
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e23
001-84618_a1_em23
DATETIME
QUASI
1959
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e24
001-84618_a1_em24
DATETIME
QUASI
1964
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e25
001-84618_a1_em25
DATETIME
QUASI
1958
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-84618_a1_e14
001-84618_a1_em26
LOC
QUASI
Ankara
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-84618_a1_e26
001-84618_a1_em27
LOC
QUASI
Izmir
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e27
001-84618_a1_em28
LOC
QUASI
Istanbul
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check
001-84618_a1_e28
001-84618_a1_em29
LOC
QUASI
Çorum
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e29
001-84618_a1_em30
ORG
QUASI
Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Association
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e14
001-84618_a1_em31
LOC
QUASI
Ankara
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e30
001-84618_a1_em32
DATETIME
QUASI
15 November 2000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e31
001-84618_a1_em33
ORG
NO_MASK
Ankara governor's office
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e32
001-84618_a1_em34
DATETIME
QUASI
21 November 2000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e33
001-84618_a1_em35
ORG
NO_MASK
Ankara Security Directorate
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e34
001-84618_a1_em36
ORG
NO_MASK
Security Directorate
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e14
001-84618_a1_em37
LOC
QUASI
Ankara
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e35
001-84618_a1_em38
QUANTITY
QUASI
92,510,0000 Turkish Liras (TRL)
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check
001-84618_a1_e36
001-84618_a1_em39
DATETIME
QUASI
15 January 2001
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001-84618_a1_e37
001-84618_a1_em40
DATETIME
NO_MASK
ten-day
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001-84618_a1_e38
001-84618_a1_em41
DATETIME
QUASI
17 April 2001
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check
001-84618_a1_e14
001-84618_a1_em42
LOC
QUASI
Ankara
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check
001-84618_a1_e39
001-84618_a1_em43
DATETIME
QUASI
11 September 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e40
001-84618_a1_em44
ORG
NO_MASK
Ankara Magistrates' Court (sulh ceza mahkemesi)
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e41
001-84618_a1_em45
QUANTITY
QUASI
TRL 136,890,0000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e42
001-84618_a1_em46
DATETIME
QUASI
8, 9, 12 and 22 October 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e39
001-84618_a1_em47
DATETIME
QUASI
11 September 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e43
001-84618_a1_em48
ORG
NO_MASK
Ankara Criminal Court of First Instance (asliye ceza mahkemesi)
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e44
001-84618_a1_em49
DATETIME
QUASI
11 October 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
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001-84618_a1_e3
001-84618_a1_em50
PERSON
DIRECT
001-84618_a1_em3
İlhami Erseven
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e45
001-84618_a1_em51
PERSON
QUASI
Bekir Aslan
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-84618_a1_e46
001-84618_a1_em52
PERSON
QUASI
Süleyman Çetinkaya
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e47
001-84618_a1_em53
PERSON
QUASI
İsmail Kaya
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e48
001-84618_a1_em54
DATETIME
QUASI
15 October 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e49
001-84618_a1_em55
PERSON
QUASI
İsmail Öztorun
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e50
001-84618_a1_em56
DATETIME
QUASI
22 October 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e51
001-84618_a1_em57
PERSON
QUASI
Kenan Atakul
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001-84618_a1_e52
001-84618_a1_em58
PERSON
QUASI
Hikmet Yıldırım
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a1_e53
001-84618_a1_em59
DATETIME
QUASI
30 October 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a1_e54
001-84618_a1_em60
PERSON
QUASI
Ellez Duman
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e1
001-84618_a6_em1
CODE
DIRECT
27225/02
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e2
001-84618_a6_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Turkey
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e3
001-84618_a6_em3
PERSON
DIRECT
Mr İlhami Erseven
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e4
001-84618_a6_em4
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Hikmet Yıldırım
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e5
001-84618_a6_em5
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Veli Ateş
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e6
001-84618_a6_em6
PERSON
QUASI
Mr İsmail Öztorun
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e7
001-84618_a6_em7
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Ellez Duman
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e8
001-84618_a6_em8
PERSON
QUASI
Mr İsmail Kaya
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e9
001-84618_a6_em9
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Kenan Atakul
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e10
001-84618_a6_em10
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Süleyman Çetinkaya
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e11
001-84618_a6_em11
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Bekir Arslan
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e12
001-84618_a6_em12
DATETIME
QUASI
22 April 2002
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check
001-84618_a6_e13
001-84618_a6_em13
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Fevzi Gümüş
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e14
001-84618_a6_em14
LOC
NO_MASK
Ankara
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e15
001-84618_a6_em15
ORG
NO_MASK
Turkish Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e16
001-84618_a6_em16
DATETIME
QUASI
13 June 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e17
001-84618_a6_em17
DATETIME
QUASI
1954
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e18
001-84618_a6_em18
DATETIME
QUASI
1957
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e19
001-84618_a6_em19
DATETIME
QUASI
1961
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e20
001-84618_a6_em20
DATETIME
QUASI
1965
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e21
001-84618_a6_em21
DATETIME
QUASI
1960
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e22
001-84618_a6_em22
DATETIME
QUASI
1956
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e23
001-84618_a6_em23
DATETIME
QUASI
1959
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e24
001-84618_a6_em24
DATETIME
QUASI
1964
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e25
001-84618_a6_em25
DATETIME
QUASI
1958
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e14
001-84618_a6_em26
LOC
QUASI
Ankara
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-84618_a6_e26
001-84618_a6_em27
LOC
QUASI
Izmir
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e27
001-84618_a6_em28
LOC
QUASI
Istanbul
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e28
001-84618_a6_em29
LOC
QUASI
Çorum
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e29
001-84618_a6_em30
ORG
QUASI
Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Association
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e29
001-84618_a6_em31
ORG
NO_MASK
001-84618_a6_em30
Association
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e14
001-84618_a6_em32
LOC
QUASI
Ankara
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e30
001-84618_a6_em33
DATETIME
QUASI
15 November 2000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-84618_a6_e14
001-84618_a6_em34
LOC
QUASI
Ankara
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e29
001-84618_a6_em35
ORG
NO_MASK
Association
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e29
001-84618_a6_em36
ORG
NO_MASK
Association
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e31
001-84618_a6_em37
DATETIME
QUASI
21 November 2000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e32
001-84618_a6_em38
ORG
NO_MASK
Ankara Security Directorate
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e33
001-84618_a6_em39
ORG
NO_MASK
association
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e32
001-84618_a6_em40
ORG
NO_MASK
001-84618_a6_em38
Security Directorate
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e33
001-84618_a6_em41
ORG
NO_MASK
association
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e14
001-84618_a6_em42
LOC
QUASI
Ankara
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e34
001-84618_a6_em43
QUANTITY
QUASI
92,510,0000 Turkish Liras (TRL)
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e29
001-84618_a6_em44
ORG
NO_MASK
Association
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e35
001-84618_a6_em45
DATETIME
QUASI
15 January 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e36
001-84618_a6_em46
DATETIME
QUASI
17 April 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e14
001-84618_a6_em47
LOC
QUASI
Ankara
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e37
001-84618_a6_em48
QUANTITY
QUASI
seventeen
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e29
001-84618_a6_em49
ORG
NO_MASK
Association
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e38
001-84618_a6_em50
DATETIME
QUASI
11 September 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e39
001-84618_a6_em51
ORG
NO_MASK
Ankara Magistrates' Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e39
001-84618_a6_em52
ORG
NO_MASK
001-84618_a6_em51
sulh ceza mahkemesi
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-84618_a6_e40
001-84618_a6_em53
MISC
NO_MASK
ceza kararnamesi
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e41
001-84618_a6_em54
QUANTITY
QUASI
TRL 136,890,0000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e42
001-84618_a6_em55
DATETIME
QUASI
8, 9, 12 and 22 October 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e38
001-84618_a6_em56
DATETIME
QUASI
11 September 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e43
001-84618_a6_em57
ORG
NO_MASK
Ankara Criminal Court of First Instance
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e43
001-84618_a6_em58
ORG
NO_MASK
001-84618_a6_em57
asliye ceza mahkemesi
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e44
001-84618_a6_em59
DATETIME
QUASI
11 October 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e3
001-84618_a6_em60
PERSON
DIRECT
001-84618_a6_em3
İlhami Erseven
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e11
001-84618_a6_em61
PERSON
QUASI
001-84618_a6_em11
Bekir Aslan
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-84618_a6_e10
001-84618_a6_em62
PERSON
QUASI
001-84618_a6_em10
Süleyman Çetinkaya
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e8
001-84618_a6_em63
PERSON
QUASI
001-84618_a6_em8
İsmail Kaya;0
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e45
001-84618_a6_em64
DATETIME
QUASI
15 October 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e6
001-84618_a6_em65
PERSON
QUASI
001-84618_a6_em6
İsmail Öztorun
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e46
001-84618_a6_em66
DATETIME
QUASI
22 October 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e9
001-84618_a6_em67
PERSON
QUASI
001-84618_a6_em9
Kenan Atakul
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e4
001-84618_a6_em68
PERSON
QUASI
001-84618_a6_em4
Hikmet Yıldırım
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-84618_a6_e47
001-84618_a6_em69
DATETIME
QUASI
30 October 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-84618_a6_e7
001-84618_a6_em70
PERSON
QUASI
001-84618_a6_em7
Ellez Duman
İlhami Erseven
TUR
CHAMBER
Task: Annotate the document to anonymise the following person: İlhami Erseven