AFFAIRE AYTEKIN C. TURQUIE

CONSEIL COUNCIL DE L’EUROPE OF EUROPE COUR EUROPÉENNE DES DROITS DE L’HOMME EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS AFFAIRE AYTEKIN c. TURQUIE CASE OF AYTEKIN v. TURKEY (102/1997/886/1098) ARRÊT/JUDGMENT STRASBOURG 23 septembre/September 1998 Cet arrêt peut subir des retouches de forme avant la parution de sa version définitive dans le Recueil des arrêts et décisions 1998, édité par Carl Heymanns Verlag KG (Luxemburger Straße 449, D-50939 Cologne) qui se charge aussi de le diffuser, en collaboration, pour certains pays, avec les agents de vente dont la liste figure au verso. The present judgment is subject to editorial revision before its reproduction in final form in Reports of Judgments and Decisions 1998. These reports are obtainable from the publisher Carl Heymanns Verlag KG (Luxemburger Straße 449, D-50939 Köln), who will also arrange for their distribution in association with the agents for certain countries as listed overleaf. i Liste des agents de vente/List of Agents Belgique/Belgium: Etablissements Emile Bruylant (rue de la Régence 67, B-1000 Bruxelles) Luxembourg: Librairie Promoculture (14, rue Duchscher (place de Paris), B.P. 1142, L-1011 Luxembourg-Gare) Pays-Bas/The Netherlands: B.V. Juridische Boekhandel & Antiquariaat A. Jongbloed & Zoon (Noordeinde 39, NL-2514 GC La Haye/’s-Gravenhage) AYTEKIN JUDGMENT OF 23 SEPTEMBER 1998 ii SUMMARY1 Judgment delivered by a Chamber Turkey – allegation of unlawful killing of applicant’s husband by a soldier at a checkpoint and of authorities’ failure to conduct an effective investigation GOVERNMENT’S PRELIMINARY OBJECTION (non-exhaustion of domestic remedies) Government not estopped from raising objection before Court – although authorities had provided Commission at admissibility stage with few details on progress of domestic proceedings against soldier accused of killing her husband, they may nevertheless be reasonably considered to have pleaded substance of objection at that juncture – in addition, applicant never informed Commission at any stage of her active participation in criminal proceedings against accused soldier, including her decision to intervene in proceedings as civil party – this factor must weigh against acceptance of her plea. Reiteration of Court’s case-law on notion of effective remedy. Investigation led to trial of accused soldier on charge of intentional homicide committed in excess of duty – in fact, accused soldier standing trial in month following her application to the Commission – soldier later convicted by an ordinary court of unintentional homicide – applicant’s appeal against judgment pending – prosecutor has also appealed against lightness of sentence imposed on soldier – furthermore, in view of soldier’s conviction applicant must be considered to have reasonable prospects of successfully suing him or his superiors in a tort action – no explanation given as to why applicant did not lodge either a compensation claim against accused soldier when she declared herself a civil party to criminal proceedings or sue authorities in an administrative-law action for damages – in view of these circumstances, it cannot be maintained that authorities remained totally passive with respect to killing of applicant’s husband or that investigation so ineffective as to make recourse to domestic remedies meaningless. Having regard to combination of criminal, civil and administrative law remedies and in particular prospects which criminal-law proceedings offered for obtaining redress in respect of husband’s death, Court considers that applicant’s situation different from those of other applicants who have successfully contended in cases against same respondent State that they were dispensed from requirement to exhaust domestic remedies. Conclusion: objection upheld (unanimously). COURT'S CASE-LAW REFERRED TO 16.9.1996, Akdivar and Others v. Turkey; 18.12.1996, Aksoy v. Turkey; 28.11.1997, Menteş and Others v. Turkey; 19.2.1998, Kaya v. Turkey; 25.5.1998, Kurt v. Turkey; 28.7.1998, Ergi v. Turkey 1. This summary by the registry does not bind the Court. AYTEKIN JUDGMENT OF 23 SEPTEMBER 1998 1 In the case of Aytekin v. Turkey1, The European Court of Human Rights, sitting, in accordance with Article 43 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) and the relevant provisions of Rules of Court A2, as a Chamber composed of the following judges: Mr R. BERNHARDT, President, Mr THÓR VILHJÁLMSSON, Mr F. GÖLCÜKLÜ, Mr F. MATSCHER, Mr G. MIFSUD BONNICI, Mr B. REPIK, Mr U. LŌHMUS, Mr E. LEVITS, Mr M. VOICU, and also of Mr H. PETZOLD, Registrar, and Mr P.J. MAHONEY, Deputy Registrar, Having deliberated in private on 30 June and 25 August 1998, Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on the last- mentioned date: PROCEDURE 1. The case was referred to the Court by the European Commission of Human Rights (“the Commission”) on 29 October 1997, within the three- month period laid down by Article 32 § 1 and Article 47 of the Convention. It originated in an application (no. 22880/93) against the Republic of Turkey lodged with the Commission under Article 25 by a Turkish national, Mrs Gülten Aytekin, on 22 October 1993. The Commission’s request referred to Articles 44 and 48 and to the declaration whereby Turkey recognised the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court (Article 46). The object of the request was to obtain a decision as to whether the facts of the case disclosed a breach by the respondent State of its obligations under Articles 2 and 13 of the Convention. Notes by the Registrar 1. The case is numbered 102/1997/886/1098. The first number is the case’s position on the list of cases referred to the Court in the relevant year (second number). The last two numbers indicate the case’s position on the list of cases referred to the Court since its creation and on the list of the corresponding originating applications to the Commission. 2. Rules of Court A apply to all cases referred to the Court before the entry into force of Protocol No. 9 (1 October 1994) and thereafter only to cases concerning States not bound by that Protocol. They correspond to the Rules that came into force on 1 January 1983, as amended several times subsequently. AYTEKIN JUDGMENT OF 23 SEPTEMBER 1998 2 2. In response to the enquiry made in accordance with Rule 33 § 3 (d) of Rules of Court A, the applicant stated that she wished to take part in the proceedings and designated the lawyers who would represent her (Rule 30). 3. The Chamber to be constituted included ex officio Mr F. Gölcüklü, the elected judge of Turkish nationality (Article 43 of the Convention), and Mr R. Bernhardt, the then Vice-President of the Court (Rule 21 § 4 (b)). On 28 November 1997, in the presence of the Registrar, the then President of the Court, Mr R. Ryssdal, drew by lot the names of the other seven members, namely Mr Thór Vilhjálmsson, Mr F. Matscher, Mr M.A. Lopes Rocha, Mr B. Repik, Mr U. Lōhmus, Mr E. Levits and Mr M. Voicu (Article 43 in fine of the Convention and Rule 21 § 5). Subsequently Mr G. Mifsud Bonnici, substitute judge, replaced Mr Lopes Rocha, who was unable to take part in the further consideration of the case (Rules 22 § 1 and 24 § 1). 4. As President of the Chamber (Rule 21 § 6), Mr Bernhardt, acting through the Registrar, consulted the Agent of the Turkish Government (“the Government”), the applicant’s lawyers and the Delegate of the Commission on the organisation of the proceedings (Rules 37 § 1 and 38). Pursuant to the order made in consequence, the Registrar received the Government’s and the applicant’s memorials on 24 and 28 April 1998 respectively. Further details of the applicant’s claims for just satisfaction were received at the registry on 2 June 1998. The Government’s observations on these claims were received at the registry on 11 June 1998. On 7 August 1998, having consulted the Agent of the Government and the Delegate of the Commission, the President acceded to the applicant’s request for legal aid (Rule 4 of the Addendum to Rules of Court A). 5. In accordance with the President’s decision, the hearing took place in public in the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg, on 29 June 1998. The Court had held a preparatory meeting beforehand. There appeared before the Court: (a) for the Government Mr B. CANKOREL, Ambassador, Agent, Mrs D. AKÇAY, Co-Agent, Mr E. GENEL, Mr K. ALATAŞ, Ms M. GÜLŞEN, Ms A. GÜNYAKTI, Advisers; (b) for the Commission Mr H. DANELIUS, Delegate; AYTEKIN JUDGMENT OF 23 SEPTEMBER 1998 3 (c) for the applicant Ms A. REIDY, Barrister-at-Law, Mr K. BOYLE, Barrister-at-Law, Counsel. The Court heard addresses by Mr Danelius, Ms Reidy, Mr Boyle, Mr Cankorel and Mrs Akçay. AS TO THE FACTS I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE A. The applicant 6. The applicant, Mrs Gülten Aytekin, is a Turkish citizen, born in 1969 and currently living in Istanbul. She is the widow of Mr Ali Rıza Aytekin, who she alleges was unlawfully killed by a soldier on 24 April 1993 at a checkpoint outside a gendarmerie headquarters on the road between Diyarbakır and Sason in south-east Turkey. Her deceased husband had been a building contractor and a partner in the Aytekinler Construction and Trading and Industry Company Ltd, which had its office in Diyarbakır. He was 27 years old at the time of his death. B. The facts in dispute: the events of 24 April 1993 7. The circumstances in which the applicant’s husband was killed on 24 April 1993 are disputed. 1. The facts as presented by the applicant 8. On 24 April 1993, Ali Rıza Aytekin, his brother, Feyzullah Aytekin (a building contractor), and his cousins, Salih Aytekin and Resul Aytekin (both building workers), were travelling in a private car to check the construction of two bridges in the Sason district of the province of Batman, south-east Turkey.

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