CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 1 mars 1999

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .sFE10DC93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .sEA5CB6F2 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#000080 } .sA1D3DA2E { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .s94935B0F { width:389.85pt; display:inline-block } .s5F1C7C86 { width:6.15pt; display:inline-block } .sB9D5CABB { width:28.35pt; display:inline-block } .sF6D41D5D { width:368.55pt; display:inline-block } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .s23A41E03 { width:36pt; display:inline-block } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s76CF415B { page-break-before:always; clear:both } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS         115     1.3.1999   Press release issued by the Registrar   HEARING IN THE CASE OF CEYLAN v. TURKEY   Monday, 1 March 1999 at 9 a.m.     The applicant     The case concerns an application (application no.   23556/94) brought by a Turkish national, Münir Ceylan, who was born in 1951 and lives in Istanbul.   Summary of the facts     The applicant, who was at the time the president of the petroleum workers’ union ( Petrol-İş Sendikası ), wrote an article in the 21-28 July 1991 issue of Yeni Ülke ( New Land ), a weekly newspaper published in Istanbul. The article was entitled Söz işçinin, yarın çok geç olacaktır (The time has come for the workers to speak out – tomorrow it will be too late) and dealt with the Kurdish question in Turkey.     The Istanbul National Security Court found the applicant guilty of inciting hostility and hatred within the population by making distinctions based on ethnic or regional origin or social class. On 3   May 1993 he was sentenced, under Article 312 §§ 2 and 3 of the Turkish Criminal Code, to one year and eight months’ imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 Turkish liras. The applicant appealed unsuccessfully on points of law.   Complaints     The applicant complains that his conviction amounted to an infringement of his right to freedom of thought and expression, relying on Articles 9 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. He also complains that he has been discriminated against on the grounds of his Kurdish origins and political opinions, contrary to the provisions of Articles   14 and 10 of the Convention taken together. He further complains that the Istanbul National Security Court cannot be regarded as independent and impartial since one of its three members was a military judge, and he alleges a consequent violation of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention.     Procedure     The application was lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights on 10   February 1994. Having found the application admissible, the Commission adopted a report on 11 December 1997 establishing the facts and expressing the opinion that there had been a violation of Article 10 of the Convention (thirty votes to two) and that no separate issue arose under that provision read in conjunction with Article 14. The Commission referred the case to the Court on 17 March 1998.   Composition of the Court     Under the transitional provisions of Protocol No. 11 to the Convention, the case was transmitted to the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights on the entry into force of the Protocol, on 1 November 1998. The case will be heard by the Grand Chamber composed as follows:   Mr Luzius Wildhaber   (Swiss), President , Elisabeth Palm   (Swedish), Antonio Pastor Ridruejo   (Spanish), Giovanni Bonello   (Maltese), Jerzy Makarczyk   (Polish), Pranas Kūris   (Lithuanian), Jean-Paul Costa   (French), Françoise Tulkens   (Belgian), Viera Strážnická   (Slovakian), Marc Fischbach   (Luxemburger), Volodymyr Butkevych   (Ukrainian), Josep Casadevall   (Andorran), Hanne Sophie Greve   (Norwegian), András Baka   (Hungarian), Rait Maruste   (Estonian), Snejana Botoucharova   (Bulgarian), Judges , Feyyaz Gölcüklü   (Turkish), ad hoc Judge ,   and also Michele de Salvia , Registrar , and Paul Mahoney , Deputy Registrar .   Representatives of the parties   Government: Durmuş Tezcan and Münci Özmen , Agents; Bilal Çalışkan , Gülhan Akyüz , Alev Günyaktı , Fırat Polat , Ayşen Emüler , Işık Batmaz Keremoğlu , Basri Yıldız and Yaşar Özbek , advisers ;   Applicants:   Hasip Kaplan , of the Istanbul Bar, counsel .     The Commission will be represented by Hans Danelius , assisted by Marie-Thérèse Schoepfer .     After the hearing the Court will begin its deliberations, which are held in private. Judgment will be delivered at a later date.     Subject to his duty of discretion, the Registrar is responsible under the Rules of Court for replying to requests for information concerning the work of the Court, and in particular to enquiries from the press.   Registry of the European Court of Human Rights F – 67075 Strasbourg Cedex Contact: Mr Roderick LIDDELL Telephone: (0)3 88 41 24 92; fax: (0)3 88 41 27 91