COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD CONCLUDES DEBATE WITH TURKISH DELEGATION ON COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONVENTION

CRC
27th session
23 May 2001
Afternoon



Expert Recommends that Turkey Studies Issue of Domestic Violence
and Investigates Cases with a View to Rehabilitating Child Victims



The Committee on the Rights of the Child this afternoon concluded its consideration of an initial report of Turkey on how that country is complying with the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

A Committee Expert, in preliminary remarks, recommended that Turkey should carry out studies with regard to domestic violence and that it investigate cases with a view to rehabilitating child victims.

The Expert said that some of the legal provisions related to the rights of children should be amended to provide more privileges to them; the Government should identify priorities in order to allocate budgetary resources; and it should establish a complaints mechanism such as an ombudsman’s office.

Further, the Expert said that although the situation concerning "honour killings" had changed, the Government should still increase awareness among the population. Leisure activities and regular attendance in schools should also be strengthened to reduce the rate of drop-outs.

Over the course of the consideration of the report, the Turkish delegation said that corporal punishment was still practised in the country and the Government was making efforts to reduce the number of cases through awareness increasing programmes; the practice of corporal punishment was more in evidence in rural areas rather than urban regions. The establishment of the police corps dealing with the protection of the rights of children was to monitor such abuses in the society.

As one of the 191 States parties to the Convention, Turkey is obligated to appear before the Committee with periodic reports explaining how it was implementing the provisions of the treaty. A 15-member Turkish delegation was on hand throughout the day to exchange views with members of the Committee and to answer their questions. The Committee will issue its concluding observations and recommendations on the report at the end of its three week session.

When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Friday, 25 May, it will deal with its methods of work in private. It is expected to meet with High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson at 3 p.m.


Discussion

In response to questions raised in the morning meeting, the members of the Turkish delegation said that the human rights situation in Turkey was not as bad as claimed by some circles which wished to convey a negative image of the country. There was no discrimination which favoured one region to another, or one individual from the other. With regard to the situation of the Roma people, the Government of Turkey was not aware of the existence of any discrimination against those people.

Concerning the practice of capital punishment, the delegation said that although the provision was still in force, a moratorium had been observed since at least 15 years. On the issue of extra-judicial killings, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the subject had visited Turkey on the invitation of the Government to look into this issue.

Tragic incidents of "honour killings" had taken place in some regions of Turkey, the delegation said. However, the criminal code stipulated that the commission of homicide following the act of adultery or other acts prompting the crime would be punished. Seventy-five years ago, "honour killings" might have been acceptable because of the circumstances prevailing in the society at the time. Today, such acts were unacceptable in the modern Turkish society where women were highly regarded.

There was no discrimination against children born out of wedlock, the delegation said. The law protected all children as equals and a new civil law would be enacted soon to strengthen the rights of children born out of wedlock.

The issue of police brutality was a phenomenon not typical only of Turkey, the delegation said. Even in other developed nations, such phenomena still persisted. Although there appeared to have been some unacceptable acts of police behaviour, they were dealt with appropriately. Concerning abduction and kidnapping, Turkey was not specially vulnerable and such cases were rarely reported. The figure of 2,000 kidnapped children supplied by one of the Committee members was incorrect; only 451 children had been reportedly kidnapped, according to police information.

Birth registration occurred in rural and remote areas although access was problematic, the delegation said. As a rule, parents were obligated to register their new-born babies before the competent authorities.

There was corporal punishment in Turkey; however, the Government was trying to do all it could to increase awareness in that regard, the delegation said. The practice of corporal punishment was more in evidence in rural areas rather than in urban regions. The establishment of the police corps dealing with the protection of the rights of children was to monitor such abuses either by parents or other relatives.

For children born of either a Turkish mother and a foreigner or vice-versa, citizenship was immediately granted, the delegation said. The principle of granting citizenship was to ensure that no person was left without one. Although dual citizenship was allowed under Turkish legislation, single citizenship was encouraged by the same legal provision.

In further questions addressed to the delegation, Committee members focused on such issues as immunization programmes; the national campaign for nutrition; the impact of pollution on the health of children; the high level of accidents involving children; the existence of safe playgrounds; the policy of breast-feeding; raping of children; trafficking in women and children; conditions of single parents; sexual education for adolescents; Government policy on child adoption and alternative care; and children with disabilities, among other things.

The number of internally displaced persons and children was estimated to be from 500,000 to 2 million, an Expert said. What special protection measures were provided to children involved in such displacement? Was Turkey serving as a transit country for persons heading for other parts of Europe? Who implemented the pre-trial detention of a law offending child? Did the law provide for legal counselling for juveniles involved in crimes?

Responding to the Committee's queries, the members of the delegation said that successive regimes had neglected the eastern sector of Turkey, with special focus on a particular ethnic group. The biggest development project so far was concentrated in the south-eastern part of Turkey. A dam had been built recently on the Euphrates and Tigers rivers to diversify and enlarge development in the region. At least 10 per cent of the Turkish population resided in the area.

The Government of Turkey recognized that there existed a high infant mortality rate and disparity among its regions, the delegation said. However, the Government had made efforts to decrease the numbers in the regions affected by such incidents. Preventive measures, such as immunization, had played a role in reducing infant mortality rate, particularly in the south-eastern part of Turkey. In addition, training programmes had been provided for mothers in health care and hygiene. Health care had been made accessible to the most vulnerable groups of the society through the implementation of projects in which medical practitioners were persuaded to provide service in remote areas by giving them financial incentives.

A comprehensive nutritional programme was being promoted by the Government to tackle problems arising from iodine-deficiencies and the lack of Vitamin A, the delegation said.

The Government of Turkey supported breast-feeding, however, it had weaknesses in fighting the transnational companies imposing their production of child food, the delegation said.

A pilot project on sexual education had been initiated in Istanbul with the collaboration of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the delegation said. Since Turkey was a majority Muslim nation, the education project was not given large publicity. In addition, abortion had been made legal for teenage girls with the knowledge of their parents.

Preliminary Remarks

A Committee Expert said in preliminary remarks that economic difficulties had impeded the full implementation of the provisions of the Convention. The two devastating earthquakes which had hit Turkey had also contributed to the difficult situation and had affected the country's efforts to fully abide by the Convention.

Some of the legal provisions related to the rights of children should be amended to provide more privileges to them; the Government should identify priorities in order to allocate budgetary resources; and it should establish a complaints mechanism such as an ombudsman’s office.

The principle of non-discrimination and the best interest of the child were reflected in legislation, and they should be implemented in practice, the Expert said. The situation concerning "honour killings" had changed but the Government should still increase awareness among the population; the institutional conditions of children deprived of a family environment should be improved; Turkey should carry out studies with regard to domestic violence and cases should be investigated properly with a view to rehabilitating child victims; the conditions of children with disabilities should be monitored more effectively, and more resources had to be allocated; the health situation of all children should be improved without discrimination; efforts should be increased in adolescent health; and leisure activities and regular attendance in schools should be strengthened to reduce the rate of drop-outs, the Expert concluded.



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