PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 29600/02) 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 a Turkish national, Mr Mehmet Acar Serdar Çakmak (“the applicant”), on 4 June 2002.

The applicant was represented by Mr Ç. Yüksel, a lawyer practising in İstanbul. The Turkish Government (“the Government”) did not designate an Agent for the purposes of the proceedings before the Court.

On 28 April 2005 the Court declared the application partly inadmissible and decided to communicate the complaint concerning the length of the administrative proceedings 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

THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicant was born in 1955 and lives in Istanbul. He was a research assistant in the Institute for Positive Sciences at the Istanbul Technical University (hereinafter: “the University”) at the time of the events.

On 30 June 1996 the University decided not to renew the applicant's contract as a research assistant. The applicant was notified of this decision on 17 July 1996.

On 30 July 1996 the applicant filed an action with the İstanbul Administrative Court and requested the annulment, and suspension of the execution, of the University's abovementioned decision.

The applicant's request for suspension was dismissed by the first instance court on 24 January 1997.

On 31 October 1997 the Istanbul Administrative Court dismissed the applicant's case.

On 20 January 1998 the applicant appealed.

On 1 June 2000 the Supreme Administrative Court upheld the judgment of the first instance court.

On 12 September 2000 the applicant requested the Supreme Administrative Court to rectify its decision.

On 6 December 2001 the Supreme Administrative Court dismissed the applicant's request. This decision was served on the applicant on 16 January 2002.