ANKARA - Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu said on Wednesday that Turkey would not permit torture and maltreatment.
The meeting of Prime Ministry Human Rights Advisory Board started in Ankara.
Addressing the opening remarks, Aksu said that they would improve human rights and they would work shoulder-to-shoulder with non-governmental organizations to reach their target.
Aksu noted that government attached great importance to human rights.
Telling about the ten-month initiatives of the government, Aksu said that the government dealt with adjustment to European Union (EU) acquis and the government laid the groundwork for trial of civil servants claimed to torture or treat badly and limited judicial process.
Aksu stated that the government paved the way of re-trial in the light of decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), broadened freedoms of thought, expression and press, and made arrangements regarding foundations and associations and demonstrations and protest marches.
Turkey made Universal Declaration of Human Rights and European Convention on Human Rights a part of its domestic law, Aksu recalled.
Aksu said that the government thought that all citizens should have the same rights and set its policies and acted accordingly.
The government favored broadening all freedoms, particularly freedom of belief, thought, right to organization, Aksu noted.
Aksu said that Turkey was mainly criticized of its human rights practices.
Firstly, security forces should be trained about human rights, Aksu noted.
Aksu pointed out that non-governmental organizations also undertook significant duties in improving human rights.
Stating that human rights in Turkey was improving gradually, Aksu said that initiatives were not sufficient and added that they would continue their efforts to reach the level of other civilized countries.
Noting that some reports on human rights in Turkey claimed that ''there was wide-spread torture in Turkey'', Aksu said that those claims were not right and stated, ''there is not wide-spread torture in Turkey.''
Turkey was ranked in an unfair place in the report on human trafficking, Aksu said and condemned the report.
(BRC-AY) 08.10.2003