Our Human Rights President Mehmet Yılmaz KÜÇÜK participated to the meeting on “Human Rights: The Universal Principles and Regional Guarantees” organized by French Mediateur de la Republique, Panthéon University and Johns Hopkins University on 01.02.2010 in Paris.

54 country representatives, United Nations, Arab League, Council of Europe and the European Ombudsman participated to the meeting. European Convention on Human Rights and Arab Charter on Human Rights were the main themes of the concerned meeting. Universality and cultural relativism and how the regional protection mechanisms should be in the light of universal principles of human rights were discussed.

The evaluation of certain provisions of the Arab Charter which was signed in 2004 by 8 countries was also one of the important discussion themes. Moreover, how the other 22 Arab countries can be encouraged to adopt this charter was discussed. Consequently, a comparison of the implementation of general human rights principles was made by the representatives of international protection mechanisms, by the representatives of national human rights institutions and by the ombudsmen coming from different countries and regions.  

Heike GERSTBREIN who was responsible for the chapter related to energy, of the negotiations, and who has been appointed as the responsible for political criteria and justice, freedom and security chapter, is also responsible for planning and coordination of the acquis section of the regular reports. She and Ms. Sema Kılıçer who is the advisor for political affairs at the EC Delegation, Human Rights, Political Affairs and Press Division, paid a visit to our Presidency. Due to Ms. GERSTBREIN’s new appointment they wanted to conduct this visit in order to acquaint herself with our Presidency. 

They were informed about the legal regulations occupying the nowadays agenda. The improvements in the area of human rights in Turkey were discussed. The working system of our Presidency and the contribution that it made to the human rights capacity in Turkey as well as the future projects that our Presidency will conduct either in cooperation with our national partners or in cooperation with our international partners, were spoken. Furthermore, our efforts to improve our relations with the civil society were explained to them. In the international arena, our activities conducted in the framework of the Mediterranean Ombudsman Association, of which we are one of the members, were stated. GERSTBREIN stated that she has been very content of this visit and she gives importance to cooperation with our institution so that she can succeed in this area.

Due to our understanding of transparency, we accept the requests to visit us from every circle so that we can make Presidency and its work well known among the people. In this scope, on 25 January 2010, Dr. Sandra Bunn-Livingstone, who is working in the area of law in the US, Kay Zahasky who is working at a company which provides with communication in this sphere,Ürün Güner, who is the responsible for projects at an NGO called Uçan Süpürge and Soner Tufan who is a member of the Board of Association of Protestant Churches, paid a visit to our Presidency.

Our President Mehmet Yılmaz Küçük, informed them about the legal regulations which occupy the nowadays agenda. Some information was also given on the opening package having four dimensions as the compliance with the Protocol Against Discrimination, with the Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture (OPCAT), Security and Police Inspection Mechanism and about the Act of National Human Rights Institution. It was stated that our Presidency completed its work on these issues and submitted them to the government. Furthermore, our relations with the civil society and our ambition towards cooperation with them were of the subjects spoken. In the international area our membership to the Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen and our intention to cooperate with and/or to be a member to the international associations working in human rights was stated.      

ON THE DATES OF 14-19 DECEMBER 2009, A STUDY VISIT TO SPAIN ORGANIZED BY THE TURKISH PRIME MINISTRY HUMAN RIGHTS PRESIDENCY, COUNCIL OF EUROPE AND OMBUDSMAN OF SPAIN WAS REALIZED.

Between the dates of 14-19 December 2009, a study visit to which Turkish Prime Ministry Human Rights President Mehmet Yılmaz KÜÇÜK, Chief Inspector of the Interior Ministry Selahattin ATEŞ, Turkish Prime Ministry Human Rights Expert Ahmet UZAK, President of the 7th Chamber of the Council of State Turgut CANDAN, President of the 8th Judicial Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals Şükrü SEÇKİN, Turkish Prime Ministry First Legal Consultant Ümit Ulvi CANIK and member of the Constitutional Court Sacit ADALI attended was arranged.

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