The Committee of Ministers adopted an Interim Resolution in the Oya Ataman v. Turkey group of cases at its March Human Rights meeting. It recalled that, for over 15 years, it has been examining disproportionate interventions in the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in Türkiye in relation to more than 70 judgments from the European Court.
It strongly urged the authorities to amend Law No. 2911 on meetings and demonstrations – in line with principles set out in the case-law of both the European Court and the Constitutional Court of Türkiye – and offered the Council of Europe’s help in this regard.
In addition, the Committee of Ministers urged the Turkish authorities to ensure that the application of a 2016 Directive on the use of tear gas and other crowd control weapons fully complies with international standards.
The Committee also invited the authorities to provide detailed information on the policing of meetings and demonstrations over the past five years, as well as the number of prosecutions and convictions linked to breaches of Law No. 2911.
Furthermore, the Committee of Ministers invited the Turkish authorities to continue training judges, prosecutors and law enforcement personnel on implementing relevant laws and on human rights.
An interim resolution is a form of decision adopted by the Committee of Ministers aimed at overcoming more complex situations requiring special attention.
