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President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has unveiled a "human rights action plan" consisting of 11 principles.
"The main determinants in drawing up Turkey's Human Rights Action Plan were the needs and demands of the people," Erdoğan said today (March 2) at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.
He stressed that the plan is the fruit of broad-based consultation with the public.
However, Human Rights Association Co-Chair Öztürk Türkdoğan told bianet in November after Erdoğan first announced the preparations for the action plan that they were not able to get a response to their recommendations.
Representatives of rights organizations said at the time that "There is a serious deterioration in human rights, rights are abolished. Exercise of rights have become an exception."
Erdoğan further said, "The action plan we will explain today is an example of our will for change and reform that continues and will continue," stressing that the necessary steps for the plan's implementation will be taken with determination and that they will share an economic reform program with the nation next week.
"We will continue to stand by the citizens against all kinds of threats to the dignity, belief, values, and life of the people," he added, saying that the new plan includes nine main goals, 50 targets, and 393 actions.
The principles
He listed the principles that form the state's irrevocable commitments to the nation as follows:
*People enjoy inalienable rights given by birth, and it is the state's duty to protect and develop these rights.
*Human dignity, as the essence of all rights, is under the effective protection of the law.
*Everyone is equal before the law, without any discrimination on the basis of language, religion, race, color, gender, political opinion, philosophical belief, sect, or similar factors.
*Providing public service to everyone equally, impartially, and honestly is the main feature of all administrative activities.
*The laws must lay out express, clear, understandable, and predictable rules without causing hesitation, and public authorities must implement these rules without compromising the principle
*No one can be deprived of freedom because of expressing criticism or thoughts.
The Constitutional Court
Giving more details of the new plan, he said: "We aim to boost the effectiveness of the system of individual applications to the Constitutional Court."
Under the plan, lawyers will be able to electronically file individual applications to the Constitutional Court, and administrative courts will be required to release full written decisions within 30 days of rulings, explained Erdogan.
To strengthen democratic participation, he added, the country will start comprehensive work to revise the political parties and electoral laws.
A new Human Rights Compensation Commission will cover the financial burden of long trials without the need to apply to the Constitutional Court, said Erdogan.
He also pledged that an independent Human Rights Monitoring Commission for Penal Institutions will be formed, including members from both bar associations and universities.
Religious holidays
A new investment ombudsman's office will be set up to settle disputes between the administration and investors, he said.
Turkey will also provide open access to the decisions of the ombudsman and human rights and equality institutions while also protecting personal data privacy, he said.
He stressed that in order to boost the standards of freedom of expression and the press, Turkey is developing measures to facilitate journalists' professional activities.
Turning to the rights of non-Muslims in Turkey, a state that has long embraced people of all faiths and backgrounds, Erdogan said: "Turkey is revising the Foundations Law on the establishment and election of the board of directors of non-Muslim community associations."
Moreover, public and private sector staff and students will be allowed to take leave for the religious holidays that they observe, regardless of their faith.
The ultimate plan is a new constitution
Under the new action plan, the police will be able to take statements anytime – 24 hours a day, seven days a week – and the country will end time limits for disciplinary probes of torture allegations, according to the president.
"The ultimate aim of Turkey's action plan is a new civilian constitution," stressed Erdogan, returning to a theme he has touched on repeatedly this year. (AS/VK)
