A commission set up by the Turkish government to look into complaints from individuals who were affected by government decrees during a state of emergency (OHAL) in Turkey has so far rejected 28,100 applications out of the 30,000 it has processed since its establishment last summer.
The OHAL commission began accepting applications in July 2017.
Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) government declared a state of emergency in the aftermath of a failed coup attempt in the country on July 15, 2016, which remained in effect until July 19, 2018.
During the state of emergency, the AKP issued a number of government decrees, known as KHKs, through which thousands of academics, politicians, teachers, doctors, officials, businessmen, artists and journalists have been purged due to their real or alleged connections to the faith-based Gülen movement, which is accused by the government of being behind the failed coup. The movement strongly denies any involvement in the failed coup.
The OHAL commission has so far received 118,660 applications from KHK victims and made a decision in favor of just 1,900 of the applicants, while the commission has rejected 28,100 applications.
The applications accepted concern reinstatement of some public servants to their jobs and the reopening of some organizations that were closed down by KHKs.
The commission accepts complaints regarding dismissal from the civil service, jobs or organizations; dismissal from university and the loss of student status; the closure of associations, organizations, unions, federations, confederations, private health institutions, private education institutions, private institutions of higher education, private radio and TV organizations, newspapers and magazines, news agencies, publication houses and distribution channels; and the loss of retiree ranking through government decrees.
The commission began to make decisions on the applications on Dec. 22, 2017 and it is still looking into 88,660 applications.
Individuals whose applications have been rejected by the OHAL commission have the right, within 60 days, to file a case at the Ankara 19th and 20th administrative courts for cancellation of the decisions of the OHAL commission.
