4.  In May 1999 the applicants were laid off by the Diyarbakır Sur municipality, with which they had been employed. 5.  Each of the applicants brought an action in the Diyarbakır Labour Court, claiming outstanding salaries, dismissal indemnities, severance pay and other pecuniary rights. 6.  In November 1999 the court ruled in their favour and ordered the municipality to pay the applicants certain amounts in Turkish liras (TRL), including costs, together with interest running from June 1999. 7.  In the absence of an appeal the judgments became final on 19 November 1999. 8.  In the following months, the applicants initiated enforcement proceedings in order to receive the due amounts. As their efforts proved fruitless, they requested the Diyarbakır Governorship to intervene in order to facilitate the enforcement of the court's judgments. The Governor's Office informed the applicants that it had requested the municipality to redress their grievances. However, due to lack of funds, the municipality did not make any payment. 9.  At the date of introduction of the present applications, the relevant judgment debts were still outstanding. Thereafter, on an unspecified date, Hatip Bozyıl received his full award of 724 New Turkish liras (YTL) and friendly settlement agreements were reached between the following applicants and the municipality on the dates indicated:
- Ramazan Fidancan on 6 February 2002;
- Muhyettin Babayiğit on 11 April 2002;
- Ali Rıza Babayiğit on 27 October 2004;
- Talat Tunç on 21 May 2002;
- Hüseyin and Mehmet Şirin Kamik on 30 December 2003; and
- Fahri Açan on 13 May 2005. 10.  No settlement was reached in respect of the other applicants. However, the municipality deposited certain partial amounts in the relevant account at the local enforcement office, which amounts were made available to some of the applicants and paid later.