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Turkish Constitutional Court rulings and Gezi Park cases

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-10-13 21:33 UTC → 2026-10-16 15:31 UTC · added removed

Turkish Constitutional Court rights rulings and Gezi Park cases

The Constitutional Court of Turkey has issued several rulings addressing violations of fundamental rights. In one instance, the Court determined that the freedom of expression of Yeni Parti leader Özgür Özel was violated regarding his 2020 criticisms of a former Vice President. The Court overturned a previous damages decision and ordered President, ordering the state to pay Özel 50,000 TL in non-pecuniary damages, damages and sending the case back for retrial. In a separate matter matters involving urban planner Tayfun Kahraman, who received an 18-year prison sentence related to the Gezi Park protests, the Court found that his the rights to a fair trial and personal liberty and security of urban planner Tayfun Kahraman were violated. The Court awarded Kahraman 100,000 TL in non-pecuniary damages and ordered a retrial. Following the publication of this decision in the Official Gazette, the Court issued a subsequent ruling to address failures by lower courts to implement On October 6, 2026, the initial violation decision. The Court emphasized that the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court is constitutionally obligated to initiate retrial proceedings for Kahraman immediately, without waiting for a formal application. On October 6, 2026, the reasoning for the violation ruling was officially published and sent to the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court. On October 12, 2026, developments Developments regarding Gezi Park-related cases continued. While the Constitutional Court reiterated its mandate for the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court to implement the Kahraman ruling, the same court rejected requests for the release and retrial of businessman Osman Kavala. Kavala continue to face judicial resistance. Despite a ruling from the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) declaring his rights were violated, violated and characterizing his detention as unlawful, the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court ruled rejected requests for his release and retrial. The court maintained that the ECHR does not act as a court of appeal and that evidence evaluation remains within national jurisdiction. On October 16, 2026, Kavala remains in custody. issued a statement accusing the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court of undermining the credibility of the Turkish judiciary. He argued that the refusal to reopen his case constitutes a “serious human rights violation and an arbitrary interpretation of criminal procedure laws,” maintaining that his prosecution is politically motivated.

Versions

  1. 2026-10-16 15:31 UTC Turkish Constitutional Court rulings and Gezi Park cases
  2. 2026-10-13 21:33 UTC Turkish Constitutional Court rights rulings
  3. 2026-10-12 17:32 UTC Turkish Constitutional Court rights rulings
  4. 2026-10-06 15:02 UTC Turkish Constitutional Court rights rulings
  5. 2026-10-05 21:53 UTC Turkish Constitutional Court rights rulings

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