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2004 To Be a Year of Progress for Human Rights in
Turkey
 Ankara, TURKEY, September 29, 2003 - Vahit Bicak, human
rights advisor to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has said that
2004 would be a year of implementations in terms of human rights.
Bicak reminded that in 2004 the European Union (EU) would decide
to start full membership discussions with Turkey and emphasized that
improvements in human rights would play a determining role in the
decision.
Yesterday, Bicak spoke to Zaman and said, “Achieving
international criteria in terms of human rights, we aim to turn
Turkey into an example, particularly for countries in the Balkans
and Central Asia.”
Following a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decision and
long-standing demands for reform from the E.U., Turkey has made
changes in its human rights laws.
“Drawbacks in implementation continue,” but he added, “2004 will
be the year of human rights and a year of implementation.”
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