STRASBOURG
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said Turkey violated human rights for failing to conduct an effective investigation into the deaths of two Turkish citizens in an anti-terrorist operation in 2004.
The relatives of the two dead Turkish citizens, Emine, Makbule and Resat Kaymaz, filed the case and were awarded 140,000 Euros by Turkey in accordance with the Strasbourg court's ruling on Tuesday. The plaintiffs were born in 1939, 1971 and 1980, respectively, and live in Kiziltepe, Mardin, located in southeastern Turkey.
Emine, Makbule and Resat Kaymaz accused the police of deliberately killing their relatives and criticised the Turkish authorities for failing to conduct an effective investigation into the deaths.
On Nov. 26, 2004, Resat Kaymaz filed a complaint to a Turkish criminal court against the police officers, accusing them of deliberately killing the victims.
In December 2004, an indictment was issued against four police officers for a murder, which resulted from the use of excessive force. In a 2007 verdict, the Turkish court acquitted the police officers of these charges.
The three applicants' petition to appeal the verdict was dismissed by a higher court in 2009.
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