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Human Rights Committees to be Run by
Civilians
Ankara, TURKEY, November 06, 2003 -
The human rights committee, formed to investigate human rights
violations and receive complaints is undergo personnel changes. The
commitee, comprised of members from the Prime Ministry Human Rights
Presidency, governors, deputy governors, district governors,
security directors and gendarmerie representatives serving in 81
cities and 849 provinces in Turkey are to be replaced mostly by
representatives from non-governmental organizations and professional
institutions. According to a new by-law, the comittee will be led by
civilians.
The plan is part of the government's drive to focus on human
rights, before December 2004, when Turkey hopes to receive a date
for European Union full membership deliberations. Starting at the
top, criminal jurist Assoc. Prof. Vahit Bicak, who formerly served
in the European Court of Human Rights will be appointed head of the
Human Rights Presidency.
The ministry has begun drafting new city and county Human Rights
committee and structural by-laws after garnering the opinions and
suggestions of 96 experts. |
