FOREIGN MINISTRY: ''NEWS REPORTS AND EVALUATIONS WHICH TAKE PART IN MEDIA STEM FROM LACK OF INFORMATION''
ANKARA - Foreign Ministry said on Friday that news reports and evaluations, which appeared in media about International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, stemmed from lack of information about those covenants.
Ministry statement on the issue recalled that 148 countries were side to International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and that 145 countries were side to International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and stated that all the EU members and candidate countries as well as the whole members of Council of Europe and western countries were side to the covenants.
The statement said Turkey would be one of the countries which recently participate in the covenants among the U.N. member countries, and noted that, ''thus Turkey, which is a founder member of the U.N., will be a side to the six principle covenants of the U.N. on human rights.''
The statement said being a side to the contracts was included among the medium term targets of the National Programme for Adoption of Acquis (NPAA) of Turkey which had been adopted in 2001. The statement recalled that EU Accession Partnership Accord included the expectation of Turkey's being a side to covenants.
The statement said, ''concerns pertaining to being a side to the covenants lack basis. Being a side to the covenants, we put three statements and raised a reservation to every covenant.''
According to the statement, first of Turkey's reservations is about ''self-determination'' which is included in the joint first article of the dual-covenants. Turkey, within this framework, stated that it would fulfill the commitments stemming from the covenants, according to the first and second articles about territorial integrity and national security of the U.N. Charter. Thus, Turkey ranked the seventh among countries which made announcement on the issue.''
The statement said first joint article of the covenant was written with respect to elimination of colonialism in 1960's. The statement said this lost validity today, adding that the principle ''integrity of the country of the state'' settled today in international law.
Turkey secondly said provisions of the covenants would only be valid for side countries which it has diplomatic relations. Turkey with this statement does not undertake any commitment against countries with which it does not have diplomatic relations.
Third statement of Turkey is that: The covenants would only be valid as of borders of the countries where the constitutional and legal administrative order is under implementation. Thus, keeping Turkey responsible for implementations apart from the borders will be prevented.
The reservation raised to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights was about Article 27 which is about minority rights. The reservation says this article would be implemented according to the related provisions of the Constitution and Lausanne Treaty.
Reservation of Turkey on Article 13 of International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights would be implemented within the scope of related provisions of this article. Thus arrangements on right of education are envisaged to be fulfilled only within constitutional borders.
The statement, after briefing about Turkey's reservations in detail, pointed out that, ''views expressing that integrity of a democratic country like Turkey would be jeopardized after its participation to two covenants in which all the civilized countries are side, based on groundless concerns.''
(AY-AÖ) 13.06.2003