Turkish air strike killed 36 civilians

The deaths of 36 people, who may have been locals smuggling in goods from northern Iraq, killed in an overnight airstrike by Turkish warplanes in southeastern Turkey have led to doubts about the intelligence sources on which the military relied before conducting the operation.
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chairman Hüseyin Çelik held a press conference Thursday evening, saying the incident was the result of an “operational accident” that was caused by a mistake or intelligence failure. He said both a legal and an administrative probe were underway to name those responsible for the deadly error. “If there was a mistake, it will not be covered up in any way and the necessary legal action will be taken.”

A statement from the Şırnak Governor’s Office said 35 people were killed and another was injured in the airstrikes. However, hospital records indicate a death toll of 36.

ECHR; Veli İsmail Altınok

The applicant, Veli Ismail Altınok, is a Turkish national who was born in 1981 and lives inAdana. He was arrested on 12 April 2007 following a complaint alleging fraud andforgery. After being brought before the criminal court he was placed in pre-trialdetention. Relying on Article 5 § 4 (right to take proceedings to have the lawfulness ofdetention decided speedily by a court), he alleges that the lodging of an objection andthe procedure for automatic review of detention are ineffective. He also complains thatthe Assize Court did not give adequate reasons for ordering his continued detention anddismissing his objections. Relying on Article 5 § 5 (right to compensation), he complainsthat he did not have an effective remedy by which to obtain compensation. Altınok v. Turkey (no. 31610/08) Türkiye Aihm Başvuru

Europe May Turn Back 1930

Europe Human Right Court President Jean-Paul Costas incumbency ends at this month. He has been chairing for 13 years. He talked about future of court, Europe, European Union, economic crisis damages to human rights.
According to Kayhan Karaca, reporter of ntvmsnbc.com, Jean Paul Costa is anxious about Europe future.

“We have two possible script view of geopolitical. First script is disaster. Those events at 1930′s may repeat today (In Europe). Very serious economic and social crisis, unemployment, authoritarian regimes capture the competence and war. League of Nations demolishes and the passing from the peace to the war and the passing from international organizations to gunfight. This is the script of disaster. We can think these possibilities will repeat. All conditions are available. But although I think international society will resist despite these conditions and the peace will resist to the war. But the fact that we will live hard conditions is real. Climbing over economic crisis which begin 3 years ago will attend during long years. But I don’t think script of disaster is inevitable” Costa said.

ECHR; President Jean Paul Costa (France)

Born on 3 November 1941 in Tunis
Diploma of the Institute of Political Studies of Paris, 1961
Master of Law, Faculty of Law, Paris, 1962
Diploma of Superior Studies (post-graduate), Public law, 1964
Former pupil of the ENA (Ecole nationale d’administration), 1964-66
Auditeur at the Conseil d’Etat, 1966
Rapporteur at the judicial section of the Council of State, 1966-1971, 1977-80, 1987-89, assessor of sub-section (chamber), judicial section of the Council of State, 1989-93
Directeur du cabinet (political secretary) of the Minister of Education (Alain Savary), 1981-84
Associate professor, Universities of Orléans, 1989-98 and Panthéon-Sorbonne, 1992-98
President of sub-section, judicial section of the Council of State, 1993-98
Judge of the European Court of Human Rights since 1 November 1998
President of Section since 1 May 2000
Vice-President of the Court since 1 November 2001
President of the Court since 19 January 2007.

ECHR; Işıl Karakaş (Turkey)

Born on 8 December 1958 in Istanbul, Turkey
B.A. in Political Science, Istanbul University, 1983
Research Assistant, Faculty of Political Sciences at the Istanbul University, 1984-1993
M.A. in Public Law, Istanbul University, 1986
M.A. in European Law, Centre européen universitaire at the Nancy II University, 1988
B.A. in Law, Marmara University, 1990
Member of the Istanbul Bar, 1991
PhD in Public Law, Istanbul University, 1992
Associate Professor, Faculty of Political Sciences at the Istanbul University, 1993-1999
Associate Professor, Faculty of Law at the Galatasaray University, 1999-2003
Director of the Research and Documentation Centre on Europe at the Galatasaray University, 2002-2008
Professor of International Law, Faculty of Law at the Galatasaray University, 2003-2008
Visiting Professor at the University of Aix-Marseille III, of Reims, of Montpellier II, of Strasbourg Robert Schuman
Vice-Dean, Faculty of Law at the Galatasaray University, 2004-2008
Judge of the European Court of Human Rights since 1 May 2008.

Timoshenko: impossible damage?

I hope that the recently proposed changes to the criminal code in Ukraine will make such trials impossible in the future,” said Thorbjorn Jagland, Secretary General of the 47-member body, after a Ukraine court jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko for seven years. She was convicted of abusing power.

Enraging
The judgement has enraged the West, jeopardising Kiev’s plans to join the EU. The verdict has potentially devastating consequences for the country – which could be averted on appeal, as President Viktor Yanukovych was quick to point out.

ECHR judge Corneliu Barsan

ECHR judge Corneliu Barsan said prosecutors who searched his home and confiscated his wife’s computer and documents violated the Vienna Convention, which covers both him and his spouse, Gabriela.
But legal advice from the country’s top magistrate council said the search was legal as immunity is not granted to judges for their own benefit or to hamper the course of justice. A final vote on the legality of the move will be taken by the magistrates’ council on Tuesday.

The vote is set to be closely watched by the European Commission, which has repeatedly criticised the council for being too lenient with misbehaving judges. Romania, as well as Bulgaria, are still being monitored by the EU executive on how they deal with corruption and organised crime. This is also the reason why entry into the border-free Schengen area was delayed indefinitely by the Netherlands and Finland last month.

Turkey’s Somalian Children

              Turkey is carrying out a big aid campaign, led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for Somali who are suffering in the grip of drought.

             In an effort to position himself as the leader of Muslim countries in the Middle East region, Erdogan is trying to show the slamic World that he is not indifferent to the Muslim Somalis. He stands up to Israel in order to gain sympathy of Muslim countries.

            However, he is ignores those of his own citizens who are trying to lead their lives under very difficult conditions in Turkey. Because of the economic crises that have been experienced in Turkey, bankrupt businessmen live under very difficult conditions, and they are sought by the courts and police because of their debts.

           When these businessmen are caught by the police, they are put into prison for five years. They do not have a prominent address and they constantly change the place they live in order not to be caught. They are unable to receive treatment when they get ill, because in hospitals, the police check whether the person is sought or not by the courts. And if they have a job, they can in no way benefit from social rights, because they cannot register for social security.