ANKARA, Sept 29 (AFP) - Some 500 human rights activists from around the world began a four-day symposium here Wednesday in a bid to share their experiences and draw on each other's expertise to further their work.
During the gathering, entitled "New Tactics in Human Rights", activists from 85 countries will hold several workshops to discuss a wide range of issues from torture to the role of non-governmental organizations in human rights.
"It is important to hold this meeting in Turkey because we still need to do a lot to bring the human rights situation to a satisfactory level," Murat Belge, from the Helsinki Citizens Assembly, said in his opening speech.
"This is not a paradise for human rights," he added.
Turkey has for years come under intense fire from its Western allies and international rights activists for gross human rights violations, including systematic torture and extra-judicial killings.
But the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has adopted a swathe of reforms in recent years to meet European democratic standards to achieve Turkey's decades-old goal of joining the European Union.
"We have been determined to upgrade our democracy to attain high standards of human rights, protected by consolidated transparency and accountability of the system," Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told the gathering. "We would not put any excuses in front of us for any shortcomings we have in this respect."
Gul acknowledged that the prospect of EU membership gave crucial impetus to Turkey's reform process and pledged that his government would ensure full implementation of the reforms, another key EU demand.
Turkey is eagerly awaiting a key report the European Commision will issue on October 6, assessing the country's achievements and shortcomings in fulfilling the Union's political criteria.
The report will be the basis for a decision by European leaders on December 17 on whether to open membership talks with Ankara, which has been an official EU candidate since 1999.
The opening of the symposium was also the scene of a small protest when some participants held up placards protesting the US-led invasion in Iraq during a speech by US ambassador Eric Edelman.
"US, enemy of peace, get out of Iraq," read the placards.
Edelman continued his speech, saying: "You have exercised your right, now I would like to exercise mine."