ANKARA - Parliamentary European Union (EU) Adjustment Commission Chairman Yasar Yakis received on Tuesday Amnesty International (AI) Secretary General Irene Khan and accompanying delegation.
Khan said that abolition of death sentence was a positive development and stressed its importance.
There were moves Turkey had to make about human rights, Khan noted.
Khan asked about issues on Turkey's agenda related with human rights and wanted to learn about initiatives Turkey planned to launch that year.
AI was not only interested in human rights in Turkey but also prepared a report on EU countries, Khan said.
Khan stated that AI issued a document on practices of police in Germany in January.
Yasar Yakis recalled that Turkey had signed the sixth protocol to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms concerning the abolition of death penalty.
Yakis informed Khan about Turkey's initiatives in EU adjustment process and said that Turkey intensified itself to get a negotiation date in December 2003.
Khan later met with Parliamentary Human Rights Commission Chairman Mehmet Elkatmis and members of the commission at working lunch.
AI Secretary General Khan came to Turkey late on Sunday. The delegation headed by Khan visited Human Rights Association's branch in Istanbul and AI Turkey Office in Istanbul on Monday. The group met with representatives of non-governmental organizations at AI office in Istanbul.
After holding several meetings in Ankara, the delegation will proceed to southeastern Diyarbakir province.
(BRC-AÖ) 10.02.2004