Brussels, 07/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 7 June, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders presented its report from May 2012 on Turkey. “What this report does is show how the laws passed since 2002 and the opening of the country's accession negotiations with the EU have been hampered by the persistent 'authoritarian and law-and-order mentality' that is hindering rights”, said MEP Hélène Flautre (Greens/EFA, France). She added that implementation of the reforms on the ground depend to a large extent on human rights activists and civil society.
Thanks to Turkey's candidacy for EU membership, “there have been quite a few reforms that might be called democratisation reforms, reforms in the criminal and civil code, but there has been no parallel with human rights, with the notion of freedom. Since 2006-2007, freedom and human rights have regressed”, said the head of the International Human Rights Federation, Yusuf Alatas. He says freedom of opinion and freedom of expression are “two areas where regression is flagrant”. “The judiciary has become a tool to undermine and obstruct some change”, he said.
“The government tends to conduct an authoritarian policy. Organisations, international institutions have great power over probable and sustainable change in Turkey”, Alatas added, stating that “we need support and constructive criticism for the EU, aid and guidance”.
At the start of 2012, 105 journalists, 44 lawyers and at least 17 members of human rights organisations and 41 trade unionists were being held in prison, most for anti-terrorism charges, along with dozens of others, the victims of judicial harassment. (CG/transl.rt)