PROCEDURE

The case was referred to the Court, as established under former Article 19 of the Convention, by the European Commission of Human Rights (“the Commission”) on 17 March 1998, within the three-month period laid down by former Articles 32 § 1 and 47 of the Convention. It originated in an application (no.24122/94) against the Republic of Turkey lodged with the Commission under former Article 25 by a Turkish national, Mr Kamil Tekin Sürek, on 9 March 1994. The Commission’s request referred to former Articles 44 and 48 of the Convention and to the declaration whereby Turkey recognised the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court (former 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 6 § 1 and 10 of the Convention.

In response to the enquiry made in accordance with Rule 33 § 3 (d) of the former Rules of Court A1, the applicant stated that he wished to take part in the proceedings and designated the lawyer who would represent him (former Rule 30). Mr R. Bernhardt, President of the Court at the time, subsequently authorised the applicant’s lawyer to use the Turkish language in the written procedure (former Rule 27 § 3). At a later stage, Mr L. Wildhaber, President of the new Court, authorised the applicant’s lawyer to use the Turkish language in the oral proceedings (Rule 36 § 5).

As President of the Chamber which had originally been constituted (former Article 43 of the Convention and former Rule 21) in order to deal in particular with procedural matters that might arise before the entry into force of Protocol No. 11, Mr Bernhardt, acting through the Registrar, consulted the Agent of the Turkish Government (“the Government”), the applicant’s lawyer and the Delegate of the Commission on the organisation of the written procedure. Pursuant to the order made in consequence, the Registrar received the applicant’s and the Government’s memorials on 23 September and 14 October 1998 respectively. On 8 September 1998 the Government filed with the Registry additional information in support of their memorial and on 22 November 1998 the applicant filed further details of his claim for just satisfaction. On 26 February 1999 the Government filed observations on the applicant’s claims for just satisfaction.

After the entry into force of Protocol No. 11 on 1 November 1998 and in accordance with Article 5 § 5 thereof, the case was referred to the Grand Chamber of the Court. On 22 October 1998 Mr Wildhaber had decided that, in the interests of the proper administration of justice, a single Grand Chamber should be constituted to hear the instant case and twelve other cases against Turkey, namely: Karataş v. Turkey (application no. 23168/94); Arslan v. Turkey (no. 23462/94); Polat v. Turkey (no. 23500/94); Ceylan v. Turkey (no. 23556/94); Okçuoğlu v. Turkey (no. 24246/94); Gerger v. Turkey (no. 24919/94); Erdoğdu and İnce v. Turkey (nos. 25067/94 and 25068/94); Başkaya and Okçuoğlu v. Turkey (nos. 23536/94 and 24408/94); Sürek v. Turkey no. 1 (no. 26682/95); Sürek and Özdemir v. Turkey(nos. 23927/94 and 24277/94); Sürek v. Turkey no. 3 (no. 24735/94) and Sürek v. Turkey no. 4 (no. 24762/94).

The Grand Chamber constituted for that purpose included ex officio Mr R. Türmen, the judge elected in respect of Turkey (Article 27 § 2 of the Convention and Rule 24 § 4 of the Rules of Court), Mr Wildhaber, the President of the Court, Mrs E. Palm Vice-President of the Court, and Mr J.‑P. Costa and Mr M. Fischbach, Vice-Presidents of Sections (Article 27 § 3 of the Convention and Rule 24 §§ 3 and 5 (a)). The other members appointed to complete the Grand Chamber were Mr A. Pastor Ridruejo, Mr G. Bonello, Mr J. Makarczyk, Mr P. Kūris, Mrs F. Tulkens, Mrs V. Strážnická, Mr V. Butkevych, Mr J. Casadevall, Mrs H.S. Greve, Mr A.B. Baka, Mr R. Maruste, and Mrs S. Botoucharova (Rule 24 § 3 and Rule 100 § 4). On 19 November 1998 Mr Wildhaber exempted Mr Türmen from sitting after his withdrawal from the case having regard to the decision of the Grand Chamber in the case of Oğur v. Turkey taken in accordance with Rule 28 § 4. On 16 December 1998 the Government notified the registry that Mr F. Gölcüklü had been appointed ad hoc judge (Rule 29 § 1). Subsequently, Mr K. Traja replaced Mrs S. Botoucharova, who was unable to take part in the further consideration of the case (Rule 24 § 5 (b)).

Pursuant to the invitation of the Court (Rule 99), the Commission delegated one of its members, Mr D. Šváby, to take part in the consideration of the case before the Grand Chamber. The Commission subsequently informed the Registry that the Commission would not be represented at the oral hearing. On 16 February 1999 the Delegate filed his written pleadings on the case with the Registry.

In accordance with the President’s decision, a hearing took place in public in the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg, on 3 March 1999, the case being heard simultaneously with the case of Sürek and Özdemir v. Turkey. The Court had held a preparatory meeting beforehand. There appeared before the Court: (a) for the Government Mr D. Tezcan, Agent, Mrs D. Akcay, co-Agent, Mr B. Çalışkan, Miss G. Akyüz, Miss A. Günyaktı, Mr F. Polat, Miss A. Emüler, Mrs I. Batmaz Keremoğlu, Mr B. Yıldız, Mr Y. Özbek, Advisers; (b) for the applicant Mr H. Kaplan, Istanbul Bar, Advocate. The Court heard addresses by Mr Tezcan and Mr Kaplan.

AS TO THE FACTS

I. the CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

A. The applicant

The applicant is a Turkish citizen who was born in 1957 and lives in Istanbul.

At the material time, the applicant was the major shareholder in Deniz Basın Yayın Sanayi ve Ticaret Organizasyon, a Turkish limited liability company which owns a weekly review entitled Haberde Yorumda Gerçek (“The Truth of News and Comments”), published in Istanbul.

B. The impugned news report

The issue dated 26 April 1992 contained a news report providing information given at a press conference by a delegation - which included two former Turkish parliamentarians Leyla Zana and Orhan Doğan, Lord Avebury and a member of the Anglican Church - on its visit to Şırnak village, in the wake of tensions in the area. The news report included an article reporting the Governor of Şırnak as having told the delegation that the Şırnak Chief of Police had given an order to open fire on the people. It further rendered a dialogue between Leyla Zana, Orhan Doğan and İsmet Yediyıldız, a Gendarme Commander. The relevant part of the report read: “Gendarmerie Regiment Commander İsmet Yediyıldız: ‘Your blood would not quench my thirst…’ While the British delegation and Diyarbakır MP Leyla Zana, Şırnak MP Orhan Doğan and Bismil District Governor Mehmet Kurdoğlu managed to persuade the people of Tepe village, which was blockaded by the security forces, after talking to them for a while and telling them that permission had been obtained for them to get the bodies of their dead, an interesting conversation took place between Diyarbakır Security Director Ramazan Er and Gendarmerie Regiment Commander İsmet Yediyıldız. The conversation between the MPs Leyla Zana and Orhan Doğan on the one hand and Colonel İsmet Yediyıldız on the other hand was recounted by Leyla Zana as follows: Colonel Yediyıldız: What business do you have here? There had been nobody here until you arrived. You have come and stirred things up again. Leyla Zana: No, Sir. The situation had been extremely tense before we arrived. We have come with the District Governor and are trying to calm down the tension here. Here is the District Governor. Colonel Yediyıldız: No, that’s not true. We saw when we were flying by helicopter that there was nobody here before. People gathered when you arrived. Orhan Doğan: No, you can ask the District Governor if you like. (Meanwhile, District Governor Mehmet Kurdoğlu was also being told off.) Colonel Yediyıldız: Do you know who these dead people are? Orhan Doğan: Yes, they are our children, the children of all of us. Colonel Yediyıldız: No, these are not our children, they are your children. Orhan Doğan: But my Colonel ... Colonel Yediyıldız: Do not call me your colonel. I am not your colonel. Your blood would not quench my thirst. You should also be honest and freely admit that my blood would not quench your thirst. Right now I could kill you like a rat. Your death would give us pleasure. Your blood would not quench my thirst. Leyla Zana: If the problem can be solved by killing us, then here are our people; let’s go among them and you kill us and this problem is solved. Colonel Yediyıldız: No, I would not kill you now. I would kill you after disgracing you in the eyes of the people.”

C. The charges against the applicant

On 29 May 1992 the Public Prosecutor at the Istanbul National Security Court (İstanbul Devlet Güvenlik Mahkemesi) charged the applicant, being the owner of the review, with revealing the identity of officials mandated to fight terrorism and thus rendering them terrorist targets. The charges were brought under section 6 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1991 (“the 1991 Act“; see paragraph 16 below).

In the proceedings before the Istanbul National Security Court the applicant denied the charges and advanced the following arguments in his defence. The news report had been published with the aim of informing the public of the events which had occurred during the 1992 Newroz celebrations. It had been based on a joint press declaration by former deputies Leyla Zana and Orhan Doğan and an English delegation, during their visit to south-east Turkey. By virtue of the fact that section 6 of the 1991 Act contained an absolute prohibition on the disclosure and dissemination of the identity of officials appointed to fight terrorism, it enabled officials to abuse their authority, violate the law and subject citizens to ill-treatment. The right to receive and impart information, including information concerning acts of officials, was fundamental in a democratic society. Section 6 of the 1991 Act contravened not only the Turkish Constitution but also Article 10 of the Convention.

D. The applicant’s conviction

In a judgment of 2 September 1993 the National Security Court convicted the applicant under section 6 of the 1991 Act and sentenced him to pay a fine of 54,000,000 Turkish lira. It noted that the news report had contained an allegation to the effect that the Governor of Şırnak had stated to the visiting delegation that the Şırnak Chief of Police had given an order to open fire on the people. It had further affirmed that a gendarme commander had stated to Orhan Doğan in Leyla Zana’s presence “[y]our death would give us pleasure. Your blood would not quench my thirst“. By having disclosed the identity of these officials, the publication had rendered them targets for terrorist attack.

E. The applicant’s appeal against conviction and subsequent proceedings

The applicant appealed, reiterating his defence before the National Security Court. He also argued that the press declaration at issue had already been reported in other newspapers and magazines and that the incriminated news report had added nothing to these.

On 10 December 1993 the Court of Cassation dismissed the appeal. It upheld the cogency of the National Security Court's assessment of the evidence and its reasoning for rejecting the applicant's defence.