ROME - Justice Minister Cemil Cicek who attended the unofficial meeting of EU Justice and Interior Ministers, said on Saturday that human rights improvements would speed up Turkey`s steps in EU accession process.
Speaking to A.A correspondent, Cicek said that the biggest responsibility related to human rights belonged to Turkish judges, prosecutors and security directorate.
Cicek said that ``we can be in a better position. There is no negative atmosphere against Turkey in the meetings which continue for two days. This shows that Turkey is on the right way.``
Regarding the issue of shortening the period of legal cases, Cicek said that ``it was seen that this was not only seen in Turkey. In Turkey, legal cases finish in 241 days including the process in the Supreme Court of Appeals. It is one year or more in Austria. The average trial period in EU countries changes between 12-18 months.``
Cicek said that a commission was set up in EU to find alternative ways to complete cases in a short period of time, adding that the alternative methods in question were methods of arbitration and sorting out cases outside judiciary, which were also on the agenda of the Justice Ministry.
Cicek noted that the government also made certain regulations about alternative penal systems and they sent a draft to the parliament, adding that ``an important part of the EU candidate countries are not even at our stage.``
Cicek who also had a bilateral meeting with French Justice Minister Dominique Perben, said that ``25 young judges and prosecutors will attend meetings on environment, communication and other issues in 2004.``
(Öª) 13.09.2003