CEDH · CASELAW;COMMUNICATEDCASES;ENG — 4 août 2025

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .s379BC09C { margin-top:36pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:right } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s5E1364CA { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:12pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:14pt } .s339D85E6 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:14pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid } .s665E407E { margin-top:66pt; margin-bottom:14pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s10950C61 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:14.2pt; text-align:justify } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s5FFF0A75 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:7pt } .sFF075836 { margin-right:7.05pt; margin-left:7.05pt; border-collapse:collapse; } .s938C1CCA { padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top } .s2E932ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:11pt } .sEECE831 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#474747 } .s3695F815 { border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top; background-color:#dfdfdf } .s2EF62ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:12pt } .sE8934522 { border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } .s5F695180 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:14pt; font-size:11pt } Published on 25 August 2025   SECOND SECTION Application no. 36327/23 Necbir ATILGAN against Türkiye and 5 other applications (see list appended) communicated on 4 August 2025 SUBJECT MATTER OF THE CASE The applications concern disciplinary sanctions imposed on the applicants, civil servants at the material time, due to their social media posts and/or public statements (for details regarding the nature and reasons for the sanctions, see the Appendix). The domestic authorities considered that the litigious posts and statements of the applicants exceeded the permissible bounds of criticism and that the disciplinary sanctions were appropriate and necessary given the duties incumbent upon the applicants by virtue of their civil servant status. Invoking mainly Article 10 of the Convention, the applicants contend that the disciplinary sanctions constituted a breach of their right to freedom of expression. QUESTIONS TO THE PARTIES 1.     Has there been an interference with the applicants’ right to freedom of expression, within the meaning of Article 10 § 1 of the Convention, on account of the sanctions imposed upon them?   2.     If so, was that interference prescribed by law and necessary in terms of Article   10 § 2 (see, for the general principles, Baka v. Hungary [GC], no.   20261/12, § 162, 23   June 2016)?   In particular, having regard to the content of the applicants’ impugned posts and statements, the context in which they were expressed, and the circumstances of each case, did the national courts carry out in their decisions a sufficient examination and a proper balancing of the interests at stake in the light of the criteria set out by the Court in cases concerning freedom of expression ( Kula v. Turkey , no. 20233/06, §§ 44-52, 19   June 2018)?       APPENDIX No. Application no. Case name Lodged on Applicant Year of Birth Place of Residence Nationality Represented by Sanctions Imposed Alleged acts for which sanctions were imposed No. Application no. Case name Lodged on Applicant Year of Birth Place of Residence Nationality Represented by Sanctions Imposed Alleged acts for which sanctions were imposed 1. 36327/23 Atılgan v. Türkiye 08/09/2023 Necbir ATILGAN 1990 Mardin Turkish Bedia BORAN BULUT Dismissal from civil service Sharing political messages on his Facebook account 2. 11511/24 Diker Demir v. Türkiye 05/04/2024 Derya DİKER DEMİR 1984 İzmir Turkish Atalay AKSAY Dismissal from civil service Statements in a Facebook post involving words considered defamatory against the President 3. 16264/24 Kaya v. Türkiye 17/05/2024 Serhat KAYA 1988 Şemdinli Turkish Mesut KELEŞ Suspension of grade advance-ment for one year Posts on social media, concerning “Cizre events” in 2015 4. 19723/24 Altınışık v. Türkiye 02/07/2024 Orhan ALTINIŞIK 1981 Mardin Turkish Bedia BORAN BULUT Dismissal from civil service Various political statements and posts on social media 5. 28432/24 Erdoğan v. Türkiye 02/09/2024 Binali ERDOĞAN 1965 İzmir Turkish Meltem SALMAN Dismissal from civil service Posting Anti-AKP (political party in power) political posts on social media 6. 29967/24 Özdemir v. Türkiye 03/10/2024 Aziz ÖZDEMİR 1983 Kayseri Turkish Eylem SARIOĞLU ASLANDOĞAN Dismissal from civil service Sharing photos and political comments on social media List of cases: