SELÇUK AND ASKER JUDGMENT OF 24 APRIL 1998
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38. If the suspected authors of the contested acts are military personnel,
they may also be prosecuted for causing extensive damage, endangering
human lives or damaging property, if they have not followed orders in
conformity with Articles 86 and 87 of the Military Code. Proceedings in
these circumstances may be initiated by the persons concerned (nonmilitary) before the competent authority under the Code of Criminal
Procedure, or before the suspected persons’ hierarchical superior
(sections 93 and 95 of Law no. 353 on the Constitution and Procedure of
Military Courts).
39. If the alleged author of a crime is an agent of the State, permission to
prosecute must be obtained from local administrative councils (the
Executive Committee of the Provincial Assembly). The local council
decisions may be appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court; a refusal
to prosecute is subject to an automatic appeal of this kind.
C. Provisions on compensation
40. Any illegal act by civil servants, be it a crime or a tort, which causes
material or moral damage may be the subject of a claim for compensation
before the ordinary civil courts.
41. Proceedings against the administration may be brought before the
administrative courts, whose proceedings are in writing.
42. Damage caused by terrorist violence may be compensated out of the
Aid and Social Solidarity Fund.
D. Provisions on emergency measures
43. Extensive powers have been granted to the regional governor of the
state of emergency by decrees enacted under Law no. 2935 on the State of
Emergency (25 October 1983), especially Decree no. 285, as amended by
Decrees nos. 424 and 425, and Decree no. 430.
44. Decree no. 285 modifies the application of Law no. 3713 of 1981 on
the prevention of terrorism, in those areas which are subject to the state of
emergency, with the effect that the decision to prosecute members of the
security forces is removed from the public prosecutor and conferred on local
administrative councils. According to the Commission, these councils are
made up of civil servants and have been criticised for their lack of legal
knowledge, as well as for being easily influenced by the regional governor
or provincial governors who also head the security forces.