ANKARA - A seminar on improving gender equality organized by TAIEX, the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange which is an instrument of the Directorate-General Enlargement of the European Commission, began in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Tuesday.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and State Minister Nimet Cubukcu participated in the seminar.
Delivering a speech at the opening of the seminar, Babacan said gender equality became an indispensable component of human rights in the 21st century.
The ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party attached a great importance to gender equality and there had been a great improvement in the area of gender equality in Turkey, he said.
Several regulations in regard to women's rights were included in the draft of the 2008 National Program of Turkey and the government attached a great importance to steps which would strengthen status of women in society, Babacan stated.
Babacan said Turkish Labor and Social Security Ministry prepared an action plan which aimed at implementing the EU acquis in order to open negotiations on the chapter heading of "social policy and employment".
EU accession process provided an important opportunity to Turkey and the government fulfilled reforms for Turkey and Turkish people, he said.
State Minister Nimet Cubukcu said struggle on women's rights had been continuing since the 19th century however problems of women still were being discussed in the 21st century.
Cubukcu said important legal regulations had been fulfilled in regard to gender equality in Turkey in the recent years.
Marc Pierini, head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey, said gender equality was one of the most important issues to which Turkey should attach a great attention. Turkey had taken remarkable steps in regard to women's rights, he said.
TAIEX helps countries with regard to the approximation, application and enforcement of EU legislation. It is largely demand driven and channels requests for assistance and contributes to the delivery of appropriate tailor-made expertise to address problems at short notice.
TAIEX's main tasks are to provide short term technical assistance and advice on the transposition of EU legislation into the national legislation of beneficiary countries and on the subsequent administration, implementation and enforcement of such legislation, to provide technical training and peer assistance to partners and stakeholders of the beneficiary countries, to be an information broker by gathering and making available information and to provide database tools for facilitating and monitoring the approximation progress as well.
(EÖ-MS)
(DIP)