Justice beyond compensation: How survivors of human rights violations in Türkiye experience ECtHR reparations.

This article investigates how victims of serious human rights violations in Türkiye perceive reparations awarded by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Drawing on interviews with survivors—both recipients and non-recipients of ECtHR judgments—the study finds that victims prioritize symbolic reparations such as acknowledgment, truth-telling, accountability, and guarantees of non-repetition over monetary compensation. While ECtHR rulings provide important recognition in contexts of state denial, many victims express dissatisfaction with ongoing impunity, lack of effective investigations, and the limited scope of reparations, which often fail to address systemic abuses. The study highlights a gap between the ECtHR's individual-focused reparations framework and victims' broader expectations for collective, restorative, and transformative justice, calling for more victim-centered and contextually responsive approaches in cases of widespread human rights violations.