22 January 2004, Copyright © Turkish Daily News

A bizarre government office

It looks like any other government building in Ankara. Old and grey, like the hearts and minds of many occupants at government offices in town. It has a reception area, like other office buildings, and a receptionist chatting about this and that with the security man.

Delivery boys from nearby restaurants slip into the building, and leave. The serious looking letters telling passers-by the official title of the office too look like those on any other government building. But there is something different about the building. It houses a small army of officials genuinely devoted to minimizing human rights violations in a country which has an improving but still bad record on this controversial issue.

The prime ministry's human rights office is an infant department -- it has the innocence and the age of infancy. But its task is most critical as the moment of truth looms for Turkey's long and difficult journey into the European Union.

Too much talk of Cyprus recently has overshadowed the political criteria Turkey must fully legislate and implement if it wants a date to open accession talks. Add to that several European pats on Recep Tayyip Erdogan's shoulder for the flurry of reforms his government has passed, and an illusion emerges -- as if reforms on paper plus a settlement on Cyprus would earn Turkey a date. Perhaps, however, there is no other single government office as critical for Turkey's EU aspirations as the one on Yuksel Caddesi.

Presently, a small number of officials are working around the clock to examine an increasing number of violations claims. Of course, spotting the tired but happy smile on the face of an official who has just finished reading 25 pages of almost illegible handwriting is an encouraging sign. There, you have the right spirit for the job!

But the office must be upgraded legislatively and logistically to function better. Unfortunately, Turkey is a gold mine of complaints! The good thing is, there is an increasing public awareness about the need to complain to a government office about a violation by another government office. Last year, there were 235 appeals to the office, up from only a handful a few years earlier. It is also a good thing if Turks develop the habit of complaining to good government officials about the bad ones -- and without fear. But how far could this tiny office go with limited powers and resources?

If Mr. Erdogan is serious about tackling human right violations he must at once equip his human rights office with an autonomous legislation, broader powers, funds and personnel. The office must be provided with sanctioning powers so that every government official thinks twice before violating rights -- these officials must fear being caught and appropriately punished. Would it be a bad thing if official hands trembled nervously on receipt of an envelope from an autonomous human rights watchdog?

Anyone opposing the idea of an autonomous, powerful rights watchdog with full political support from the government cannot be serious about preventing violations -- that's the wise and efficient way to tackle this issue. And, more importantly, having the office just for the sake of window dressing, Mr Erdogan should be able to understand, cannot win hearts and minds in Brussels.

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