Cicek: There Has Not Been Human Rights Education Having Sound Grounds In Turkey

ANKARA - Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said on Monday, ''there has not been human rights education having sound grounds in Turkey. If there have still been implementations narrowing freedoms as making some arrangements to broaden freedoms, this stem from lack of education, not from lack of will.''
The fourth meeting of Prime Ministry Human Rights Advisory Board started in Ankara with the participation of representatives of non-governmental organizations and public institutions.
Speaking at the meeting, Cicek said, ''human rights were considered domestic affairs of states in the past. Today, human rights have gained an international dimension. Turkey has adopted many international conventions on human rights and made human rights a part of its internal law. However, a method of implementation has developed in Turkey contradicting with these conventions.''
''As the 59th government, we have made a series of new arrangements in many fields in line with the schedule of the European Union (EU) membership process. However, it is impossible to make these arrangements all together due to regulations of the parliament, political habits and other reasons. We have given priority to legal arrangements in order to fulfill political criteria. The sixth EU adjustment package will be enacted. We expect the seventh EU adjustment package to be approved in July,'' he said.
Cicek said, ''it is quite difficult to correct implementations without making changes in the laws. There has not been human rights education having sound grounds in Turkey. We have begun training judges and prosecutors. We plan to train nearly 9 thousand 200 judges and prosecutors till the end of the year.''
''If we fail to provide an appropriate human rights education at universities, we will face serious difficulties in the future. If there have still been implementations narrowing freedoms as making some arrangements to broaden freedoms, this stem from lack of education not from lack of will. If universities are not free, students cannot take free decisions,'' he said.
Noting that both Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Internal Affairs had been expending great efforts about human rights implementations, Cicek noted that the Ministry of Justice could not give directions to judges and prosecutors.
''The issue of human rights is a matter of social sensitivity,'' he added.
(UK-AÖ) 14.07.2003