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Human Rights & Terrorism
Turkey is a signatory to all of the European and most of
the major UN human rights conventions, and is one of the
original parties to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
All Turkish citizens have the right to appeal to the European
Court of Human Rights, and the Government of Turkey is bound
by its decision.
Turkey’s acceptance as a candidate to the European
Union in 1999 will be a catalyst to further accelerate its
democratic and political reforms as the country aligns its
domestic legislation and policies with those of the European
Union for eventual membership into that organization.
There are over 30 ethnic groups in Turkey, each with cultural
and individual rights protected by the Turkish constitution.
All members of ethnic groups are equal in Turkey. There
are no officially recognized ethnic minorities. The only
officially recognized minorities are religious (Greek Orthodox,
Jewish, Armenian Orthodox), as stipulated in the 1924 Lausanne
Peace Treaty.
Turkey believes that human rights can be promoted by continuing
to update domestic laws and regulations, meticulous enforcement
of existing laws, and furthering the understanding and respect
of human rights through education and training.
Turkey is one of the few countries in the world that has
been able to improve its human rights record while fighting
a vicious separatist terrorist movement aimed at destroying
its national unity.
The PKK, formed in 1978 by Abdullah Ocalan, does not represent
Turkey’s Kurdish population. It has been waging a campaign
of terror against Turkey since 1984 with the support of
certain states and Kurdish organizations throughout Europe,
the Middle East and Russia. The PKK is on the State Department’s
list of foreign terrorist organizations.
With Abdullah Ocalan under Turkish custody since early
1999, the government has been reaching out to PKK supporters
by offering amnesty and inviting PKK members to lay down
their arms. Ankara’s principled approach to bringing
Ocalan to justice, coupled with reforms to further expand
democracy and freedom of expression, are yielding positive
results. Investment and development in the southeast, where
much of the unrest has taken place, is also a government
priority.
During his November 1999 visit, President Clinton praised
Turkey's ``impressive momentum'' in improving its human
rights record and clear determination in deepening its democracy
and strengthening human rights.
Steps taken by the government to improve human rights include
reduction of detention periods to European levels, limiting
the scope of the emergency rule in the south-east, lifting
the state of emergency in one southeastern province, amnesty
and reduction of sentence to certain members of terrorist
groups, increasing penalties for perpetrators of human rights
abuses, removal of the military judge from State Security
courts, broadening the scope of freedom of expression (release
of detained writers), facilitating the trial of civil servants,
and measures to further improve prison conditions.
In addition, there are a series of draft proposals pending
parliamentary approval which would, among other things,
improve witness protection programs, and change the Civil
Code, Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Law and the Code on
the Execution of Sentences. Other initiatives include broader
compensation rights for persons affected by terrorist acts
and collateral damage caused during the combat against terror.
There are two institutions in Turkey in charge of improving
human rights: the Human Rights Inquiry Commission within
the Turkish Parliament, and the Human Rights Coordinating
High Committee. The Commission, made up of parliamentarians,
strives to expose human rights violations and find ways
to improve human rights conditions.
The Human Rights Coordinating High Committee is chaired
by the State Minister in charge of Human Rights, with the
participation of the undersecretaries of the Prime Ministry
and the Ministries of Justice, Interior, Foreign Affairs,
National Education and Health. Established in 1997, the
committee has taken more than 150 legal and administrative
decisions and is overseeing their implementation.
The Committee has established a dialogue with non-governmental
organizations, and works with major organizations for the
furthering of human rights such as women's groups, academicians
involved in human rights issues, directors of human rights
centers and major environmental establishments, children’s
organizations, as well as other non-governmental organizations.
Education is also a key to human rights awareness and improvement.
Human rights education includes required courses on "Citizenship
and Human Rights” for seventh and eight graders, optional
courses titled "Democracy and Human Rights" in
high schools, human rights centers and human rights lecturers
in various universities, a required human rights course
at the Police Academy, mandatory training for Turkish military
personnel, courses on human rights for civil service candidates
and public officials, human rights programs for prison wardens
and officials, the accused, and those serving a sentence.
Furthermore, Turkish Radio and Television will broadcast
programs on human rights.
January 2001
Main Issues
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