ANKARA - ''Today nobody can say there is systematic torture in Turkey,'' Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.
Erdogan addressed closing session of a symposium ''New Tactics in Human Rights'' jointly staged by Helsinki Citizens Assembly and U.S.-based Center for Victims of Torture.
Erdogan said any politician in a country esteeming democratic values can not make politics without human rights.
Erdogan said Turkey, which has the role of a bridge among civilizations, was located at intersection point of the east and the west, stressing that the meeting was very important as it brought together many independent non-governmental organizations coming all over the world.
Erdogan said Turkish government, by expending financial and moral support to the meeting, contributed to the efforts of the world in human rights.
''Recent developments in Turkey are very important to adjust authority-individual relations to a structure appropriate to human rights. Particularly the adjustment laws adopted in the Parliament in EU process are very important to change legal state understanding and settlement of a democratic regulation based on fundamental rights and freedoms. The government carried out a strong will and determined attitude that there would be zero tolerance to torture, which is a violation of human rights. Today, nobody can say there is systematic torture in Turkey,'' Erdogan emphasized.
Erdogan said it would be wrong to put any religion or nation as target in fight against terrorism.
Erdogan said, ''efforts to identify a religion, civilization or nation with terrorism is a violation of freedom of people.''
(AY) 03.10.2004