Turkey’s state of emergency (OHAL) commission, established in 2017 to investigate complaints related to the loss of state jobs and organizations shut down by the issuance of government decrees, has ruled to reopen six associations due to a lack of evidence that they were related to “terrorist groups,” the Habertürk daily reported on Sunday.
The decision to reopen the Çine Health Services Association, Çine Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association, the Balıkesir Union of Civil Forces Associations, the Umut Işığı Cooperation and Solidarity Association, the Alternative Life Association and the Youth and Sports Experts Association was sent to the Interior Ministry for final approval.
This is the commission’s first verdict regarding organizations closed by government decrees.
Since Dec. 22, 2017, the OHAL commission has finalized some 17,000 applications to undo government decrees and ruled for the reinstatement to their jobs of 660 people. A total of 91,905 applications are still under consideration.
According to the ruling “terrorist groups” are designated by Turkey’s National Security Council (MGK).
The Ministry of Justice announced in 2017 that with the establishment of the OHAL commission 12,600 cases that were awaiting review at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) have been dropped by the court.
Some critics were suspicious of the commission’s ability to serve justice.
Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Şenal Sarıhan in July 2017 claimed the OHAL commission was a “stillborn child.”
“This is also a deception of the European Court of Human Rights. The ECtHR thinks this is a functioning domestic remedy. With this regulation, people are both prevented from getting results from the ECtHR and making individual applications at Turkey’s Constitutional Court,” Sarıhan added.