CEYLAN v. TURKEYDISSENTING OPINION OF MR A.S. GÖZÜBÜYÜK
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Document date: December 11, 1997
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DISSENTING OPINION OF MR A.S. GÖZÜBÜYÜK
I do not find it possible to join the majority in concluding that
there has been a breach of Article 10 of the Convention. In my opinion,
there are no solid grounds for concluding that, in this case, the
interference was not necessary in a democratic society and, in
particular, not proportionate to the aim of maintaining national
security and public safety.
In order to assess whether Mr Ceylan's conviction and sentence
answered a "pressing social need" and whether they were "proportionate
to the legitimate aims pursued", it is important to analyse the content
of the applicant's remarks in the light of the situation prevailing in
south-east Turkey at the time. In so doing, the Commission, taking
account of the margin of appreciation left to the Government, should
have confined itself to the question whether the judicial authorities
had good reasons to believe that there was a pressing social need for
such a measure, based on an acceptable assessment of the relevant
facts.
I note in this regard that, according to the national courts, the
applicant's article exceeded the limits of mere criticism and amounted
to incitement of the people of Kurdish origin to hatred and enmity
based on race, class and region. In particular, the applicant had
asserted in his article that "... a genocide is carried out against the
Kurds in Turkey ..." and that "... the outcry of the Kurdish people is
being violently oppressed ...". I find that certain indissociable
sections of the applicant's article are in fact of an inflammatory
nature and could, therefore, be deemed dangerous propaganda. In these
circumstances, the applicant's conviction and the penalty imposed on
him on account of the publication of his article could reasonably be
said to arise out of a pressing social need.
In the light of these considerations and having regard to the
State's margin of appreciation in this area, I am of the opinion that
the restriction placed on the applicant's freedom of expression was
proportionate to the legitimate aims pursued and that, therefore, it
could reasonably be regarded as necessary in a democratic society to
achieve those aims.
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