Sixty-seven people from political parties, trade unions and civil society organizations have called on Turkish authorities to deliver justice for more than 127,000 public servants dismissed under emergency decree laws (KHKs) following a 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.
In video messages aired on KHK TV, a YouTube channel dedicated to the stories of those dismissed by emergency decrees, the participants said decisions made without a fair trial must be overturned and that the rights unlawfully stripped from them must be fully restored.
They also called for the annulment of what they described as unlawful rulings by the State of Emergency Procedures Investigation Commission (OHAL Commission), for the implementation of European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rulings and for the immediate reinstatement of dismissed individuals to their positions.
The joint call included people from 17 political parties, 12 trade unions and 22 human rights and civil society organizations.
Some participants noted that even people who were later acquitted in court have been unable to return to their jobs and continue to face lasting professional and social consequences, urging the authorities to address what they described as ongoing injustice.
In the aftermath of an abortive putsch on July 15, 2016, the Turkish government declared a state of emergency and carried out a massive purge of state institutions under the pretext of an anti-coup fight. More than 127,000 people were summarily dismissed from the civil service. Fewer than 20,000 have been reinstated through the OHAL Commission, which was established in January 2017 for appeals against measures taken by the Turkish government during the state of emergency.
Former civil servants were not only fired from their jobs; they were also banned from working again in the public sector and getting a passport. The government also made it difficult for them to work formally in the private sector, with notes put on the social security database about dismissed public servants to deter potential employers.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has issued multiple rulings faulting Turkey’s handling of post-coup purges, but implementation has been limited.
Political parties represented in the call included the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) and the Labor Party (EMEP). Trade unions taking part included the Confederation of Public Employees’ Trade Unions (KESK) and the Education and Science Workers’ Union (Eğitim Sen).
Human rights groups supporting the initiative included the Human Rights Association (İHD), the Association for the Freedom of Lawyers (ÖHD), the Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) and the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV), along with the bar associations of Van and Şanlıurfa provinces. Amnesty International also supported the call.
