SELÇUK AND ASKER JUDGMENT OF 24 APRIL 1998 3 There appeared before the Court: (a) for the Government Mr M. Özmen, Mr A. Kaya, Mr K. Alataş, Miss A. Emüler, Mr F. Polat, Miss M. Anayaroğlu, (b) for the Commission Mr N. Bratza, co-Agent, Advisers; Delegate; (c) for the applicants Ms F. Hampson, Barrister-at-Law, Ms A. Reidy, Barrister-at-Law, Counsel, Mr O. Baydemir, Lawyer, Mr K. Yıldız, Kurdish Human Rights Project, Advisers. The Court heard addresses by Mr Bratza, Ms Reidy and Mr Özmen. 7. Subsequently Sir John Freeland, substitute judge, replaced as a full member of the Chamber Mr Macdonald, who was unable to take part in the further consideration of the case (Rule 22 § 1). AS TO THE FACTS I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE A. Introduction 8. The first applicant, Mrs Keje Selçuk, was born in 1939. She is a widow and the mother of five children. The second applicant, Mr İsmet Asker, was born in 1933. He is married to Mrs Fatma Asker and has seven children. Until June 1993 both applicants, who are Turkish citizens of Kurdish origin, lived in the village of İslamköy, but they have since moved to Diyarbakır.