The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) unanimously held on Tuesday that Turkish authorities had not been in breach of their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights (the convention) regarding a suicide bombing committed during a 2015 rally in Ankara. The case was brought forward by Coşkun Selçuk, a Turkish national who was among the demonstrators injured in the attack.
Selçuk claimed the authorities had failed to take “preventative operational measures to stop the attack,” which he argued was a violation of Articles 2 and 3 of the convention. Article 2 protects the right to life, and Article 3 prohibits inhuman or degrading treatment. Additionally, Selçuk contended that the state should be held liable not just for their failure to prevent the attack but also for the police’s use of tear gas immediately after the explosion, which he argued hindered rescue operations.
The court’s decision noted that no violation of Article 2 had occurred, citing the absence of a “specific, concrete and imminent threat” to the lives of the demonstrators. The judgment recognized a heightened duty of vigilance due to prior incidents but concluded that the authorities had not underestimated the risks and had implemented safety measures appropriately. The use of tear gas, as per the court’s findings, did not prevent the effective intervention of rescue workers. The court also pointed out that Selçuk had already been awarded compensation through Turkish legal channels, noting that the administering of justice in this case met the conditions for an “effective judicial system.”
The bombing, which took place during a Labour, Democracy, and Peace Rally organized by several trade unions and professional chambers at the Ankara central train station, resulted in the deaths of 100 people and injuries to 191 others. Following the incident, a criminal investigation led by the Bureau for Crimes against the Constitutional Order at the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office resulted in the 2018 conviction of 19 individuals out of 36 indicted for their participation in the attack.
For further details, you can read the full judgment by the ECHR here and the case specifics here.