Turkey Implementation Training with Netherlands Helsinki Committee
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Last week, EIN and the Netherlands Helsinki Committee (NHC) hosted a 3-day training workshop on advocating for full and effective implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Turkey. Each day of training focused on three main topics on ECtHR implementation in Turkey.
The first session was introduced and moderated by EIN Director George Stafford, starting with a discussion session regarding participants’ experiences and training expectations, as well as the basics of the implementation system (based on previously circulated video material on implementation). Following this discussion, three presentations were given, with each presentation concluding with a question-and-answer period for participants to deepen their understanding of the implementation process. The first discussion of the day provided participants with an overview of the ECtHR implementation process.
Ayse Bingol, Co-Director of the Turkey Litigation Support Project, presented how Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) can get involved in the ECtHR implementation process. Ayse specifically outlined what to include in submissions to the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers (CM) and the importance of engaging with the CM. Next, Işık Batmaz, Head of Section at the Department for the Execution of Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights presented on best practices for NGO submissions and discussed what mistakes to avoid. The session concluded with George Stafford, Director of the European Implementation Network, who discussed infringement proceedings under Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and its potential to execute European Court of Human Rights judgments.
The second day of training focused on Turkish NGOs and human rights lawyers experience with engaging in the ECtHR implementation, who shared their own experiences. The session was introduced and moderated by Ayse Bingol, followed by three brief presentations. The first was by Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey Director of Human Rights Watch, focused on CM submissions as an advocacy tool. Next, Özlem Zingil, Hafiza Merkezi Turkey (Truth Justice Memory Centre) on forming alliances with other organisations. The final presentation was by Benan Molu, an independent human rights lawyer, on the need for more lawyers to be involved in the implementation process. These presentations gave participants valuable information on ECtHR implementation and lessons learned thus far. The session concluded with a roundtable session on opportunities and challenges in implementing ECtHR judgments in Turkey.
EIN Director George Stafford introduced and moderated the final training session, which focused on practical discussions on approaching selected cases. This last day of training took the form of three breakout sessions, allowing participants to discuss how they would approach specific ECtHR judgments pending implementation in Turkey. The cases selected concerned the absence of any review mechanism in Turkish legislation for an aggravated life imprisonment sentence (Gurban v. Turkey group); freedom of expression on account of the seizure and confiscation of magazines considered to infringe on public morals (Kaos GL v. Turkey); and the inadequate judicial review of the dismissal of an employee of a public institute, under an emergency legislative decree, on account of his alleged links with a terrorist organisation (Pişkin v. Turkey). The session concluded with presentations from each breakout group explaining their approach to tackling the implementation process of their case, which allowed participants to apply all three days of training.
We thank all moderators and participants for attending the training session, especially NHC, for supporting and collaborating on this training event, as well as the exceptional translators. Thank you all.
For information about the NHC, visit their website at https://www.nhc.nl/ and/or follow them on Twitter @NHC_nl, Facebook or LinkedIn, and subscribe to their newsletter.