Turkey to Pay 38K Euros For Silencing Press

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ordered Turkey to pay damages to applicants from Evrensel and Dema Nu newspapers for violating the freedom of expression.

The applicants, Ahmet Sami Belek and İsmail Muzaffer Özkurt, are Turkish nationals who were born in 1953 and 1978 respectively. They are the owner and editor-in-chief respectively of the daily newspaper Evrensel (“The Universal”), which has its head office in Istanbul.

Responding to various complaints, the court found Turkey guilty of violating the freedom of expression, ordering the Turkish state to pay a total of 38,559 euros. 

Announced on June 17, the verdict declared that Turkey violated Articles 6 and 10 of European Declaration of Human rights on “right to fair trial” and “freedom of expression” respectively. 

Convicted but they couldn’t appeal

Between 11 March 2004 and 26 February 2005 Evrensel published various articles which contained statements by the Workers’ Party of Kurdistan (PKK). Mr Belek and Mr Özkurt were charged with publishing statements by an illegal armed organization, an offense punishable under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, and ordered to pay fines not exceeding 2,000 Turkish lira (and thus not subject to an appeal on points of law). 

According to the verdict, Turkey will pay 14,742 euros to Belek and 16,977 euros to Özyurt. 

Turkey to pay damages in Dema Nu case 

In addition to that, ECHR ordered Turkey to pay bi-weekly  Dema Nu newspaper’s owner Memet Aslan and its editor-in-chief Zozan Sezen a sum of 6,840 euros. 

The former State Security Court (DGM) ordered closure of the newspaper for 8 days for covering news articles related to PKK. Newspapers officials were also ordered to pay administrative fines. 

Both individuals have applied to ECHR in 2004 and 2005 respectively, saying their right to freedom of expression was violated. (EÖ/BM).

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.