European Court of Human Rights

Resolution CM/ResDH(2010)23¹

Execution of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights

in 5 cases concerning delays by the administration in paying additional compensation for expropriation and the applicable rate of default interest

against Turkey

(See Appendix for details of the cases)

The Committee of Ministers, under the terms of Article 46, paragraph 2, of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which provides that the Committee supervises the execution of final judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (hereinafter “the Convention” and “the Court”);

Having regard to the judgments transmitted by the Court to the Committee once they had become final;

Recalling that the violations of the Convention found by the Court in these cases concerns late payment of compensation for expropriation and the applicable rate of default interest (violations of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1) (see details in Appendix);

Having invited the government of the respondent state to inform the Committee of the measures taken to comply with its obligation under Article 46, paragraph 1, of the Convention to abide by the judgments;

Having examined the information provided by the government in accordance with the Committee’s Rules for the application of Article 46, paragraph 2, of the Convention;

Having satisfied itself that, within the time-limit set, the respondent state paid the applicants the just satisfaction provided in the judgments (see details in Appendix),

Recalling that a finding of violations by the Court requires, over and above the payment of just satisfaction awarded in the judgments, the adoption by the respondent state, where appropriate, of

- individual measures to put an end to the violations and erase their consequences so as to achieve as far as possible restitutio in integrum; and

- general measures preventing similar violations;

DECLARES, having examined the measures taken by the respondent state (see Appendix), that it has exercised its functions under Article 46, paragraph 2, of the Convention in these cases and

DECIDES to close the examination of these cases.

Appendix to Resolution CM/ResDH(2010)23

Information on the measures taken to comply with 5 judgments against Turkey

Introductory case summary

These cases concern the violation of the applicants’ right to the peaceful enjoyment of their possessions due to the administration’s delay in paying additional compensation granted by domestic courts for expropriation of their property, and on account of the considerable difference between the rate of default interest applicable at the material time and the average inflation rate in Turkey (violations of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1).

I. Payment of just satisfaction and individual measures

a) Details of just satisfaction

b) Individual measures

The just satisfaction awarded in respect of pecuniary damages constitutes sufficient redress for the applicants.

II.  General measures

Measures have already been taken to prevent similar violations (See Resolutions ResDH(2001)70 and ResDH(2001)71 closing the Aka and Akkus cases) including in particular the entry into force on 1 January 2000 of Law No. 4489 which aligned the legal rate of default interest with the annual discount rate applied by the Turkish Central Bank to short-term debt (this rate is kept under constant review in the light of the recorded rate of inflation in the country).

III.  Conclusions of the respondent state

The government considers that the measures adopted will prevent similar violations and that Turkey has thus complied with its obligations under Article 46 paragraph 1, of the Convention.