Three Turks clear first hurdle for seat at Euro court

ANKARA

Three nominees presented by Turkey to the Council of Europe for the judge’s seat at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) have passed an elimination process after two previous nominee lists were rejected by the advisory panel. 

The committee of ministers on the Council of Europe’s (PACE) advisory panel has said Prof. Dr. Selami Kuran, Prof. Dr. Necati Polat and Prof. Dr. Esra Gül Dardağan Kibar, who have been presented by Turkey for the seat at the ECHR, are qualified for the post. 

The candidates will be called for an interview and the final election will be made at the General Assembly held on Oct. 8 to Oct. 12 in Strasbourg.

The positive assessment came after the two previous lists of nominees presented by Turkey were rejected on the ground that the names do not meet the court’s criteria.

The term of the previous judge Işıl Karakaş ended in April 2017 and Turkey presented the first list in December 2017. After the names were rejected, the second list was presented in July 2018 and it was also rejected on the same ground.

The third list, including Kuran, Polat and Kibar has passed preliminary elections.

Polat is one of thousands of academics that had signed the “Academics for Peace” declaration, signatories of which had been tried over “insulting the government” and “carrying out propaganda” for the illegal PKK. Polat is currently working at the Middle East Technical University (METU) International Relations Department.

Kuran is an academic at the Marmara University Faculty of Law. He specializes in international law, maritime law and European Union Law.

Kibar is an academic of the Political Science Department at Ankara University. She specializes in judicial science.