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Human Rights Council – Universal Periodic Review

For use of information media; not an official record

Date: Monday 10 May (afternoon)

Country under review:TURKEY

  1. Documents: national report (A/HRC/WG.6/8/TUR/1) and its corrigendum (A/HRC/WG.6/8/TUR/1/Corr.1), compilation of UN information (A/HRC/WG.6/8/TUR/2), summary of stakeholders’ information (A/HRC/WG.6/8/TUR/3)
  2. Troika: Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Angola

Concerned country - national report

  1. Represented by a 23-member delegation and headed by H.E. Cemil ÇIÇEK, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State.
  2. National report presented by the head of delegation.

Highlights

  1. Extensive legislative reforms to improve the protection of human rights.
  2. Action plan to enhance the independence of the judiciary.
  3. National mechanism to prevent torture and ill-treatments.
  4. Constitutional and legislative provisions to promote gender equality.
  5. Action plan to address violence against women. Training of security officers, judges and health personal.
  6. Anti-corruption measures.
  7. Positive discrimination for children, elderly and minorities.
  8. Draft law for protection of personal data.
  9. International obligations have priority over national legislation.

Interactive discussion

Number of States taking part in the discussion

  1. Member States: 25
  2. Observer States: 29

Positive achievements

  1. Abolition of the death penalty in 2004.
  2. National strategy to combat human trafficking.
  3. National action plan to promote gender equality.
  4. Efforts to combat child labour.
  5. Prison reform programme.
  6. Broaden access to education and healthcare.
  7. Human rights education enhanced in national education and law enforcement agencies.

Issues and questions raised

  1. Violence against women, including “honour killings”.
  2. Discrimination against women.
  3. Human rights abuses by military and security forces.
  4. Anti-Terror law.
  5. Discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities.
  6. Freedom of opinion, expression and assembly.
  7. Rights of persons with disabilities.
  8. Freedom of movement of refugees.
  9. Conditions of detention, especially for juvenile offenders.
  10. Discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered individuals.

Recommendations

  1. Investigate allegations of torture and prosecute perpetrators.
  2. Step up efforts to reduce impunity for human rights violations.
  3. Fully ensure independence and impartiality of the judiciary.
  4. Strengthen efforts to achieve full gender equality and implement strategies to encourage women’s participation in political and economic life.
  5. Take measures to improve juvenile justice and detention.
  6. Fully respect the right to choose and express religious beliefs and combat religious intolerance.
  7. Take further steps to ensure full respect of the rights of minorities. Take measures to combat persisting hostile and discriminatory attitudes.
  8. Revise laws restricting freedom of expression, including on the internet.
  9. Enact anti-discrimination legislation on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity.
  10. Ratify Additional protocols I and II to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, the Convention Against Torture, the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance andthe Rome Statute.

Response of the concerned country

  1. Honour killings - Considered a crime. Will be punished by aggravated life sentence in new Penal Code.
  2. Human trafficking– Definition of trafficking incorporated in the Penal Code and concept of forced prostitution added therein in 2006.
  3. Rights of the child–  Hotline and specific cares for victims of sexual abuses and exploitation. New justice system to improve protection of juveniles.
  4. Situation of refugees and asylum-seekers– Since March 2010, asylum seekers exempted from paying residence fees and granted right to apply for refugee status until deportation. Access to healthcare improved.

Adoption of the report by the UPR working group scheduled on
Wednesday 12 May, 17:30 – 18:00

More information

  1. UPR: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRmain.aspx
  2. Country under review (documents submitted): http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/PAGES/TRSession8.aspx