State of emergency commission members have been confirmed: Turkish PM Yıldırım

Members of the commission that will receive objections to state of emergency rulings, mostly related to the dismissal of public officials, have been determined, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has stated, adding that the commission will soon commence its work.

"The members of the commission to investigate the state of emergency operations, which was founded by the decree numbered 685, have been determined and the commission will commence its duty," Yıldırım said in a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) parliamentary group meeting on May 16.

"Objections will no longer be appealed to only one institution, but to this center which will act as a court and will be settled here," he added.

The government had ruled the establishment of a State of Emergency Procedures Investigation Commission with a decree law issued on Jan. 23, in order to receive applications regarding state of emergency rulings. The applications are expected to especially focus on removals or dismissals from public service and educational institutions, as well as the closure of organizations.

The formation of the commission was seen as a bid to ease criticism from European institutions, as decrees issued under state of emergency rules are closed to appeal and thus closed to any domestic remedies.

The Council of Europe was concerned about the risk of increasing the number of appeals at the European Court of Human Rights, raising concern about disproportionate measures taken under decree laws. 

The commission's term was issued as two years and its formation was stipulated to take no longer than 30 days after the publication date of the decree, but the government has been criticized for not commencing the process.

Yıldırım said the...