Turkey: New human rights action plan in the works

By Ferdi Turkten, Burcu Calik and Zafer Fatih Beyaz

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey will prepare a new human rights action plan as part of the country’s judicial reform package, a ruling party spokesman said on Saturday.

“A new human rights action plan will be prepared. It will be one of the works that leave their mark on our time in power,” Omer Celik, spokesman for the Justice and Development (AK) Party, told reporters during the party’s weekend camp retreat in the capital Ankara.

Telling reporters about the meeting’s agenda and speeches by party members, Celik said that the new judicial reform package was the subject of widespread discussion.

“The human rights action plan will also show the standards we see the world at large with, our response to the standards of the world at large, and how we align with it,” Celik said.

He added that the party is set to work on strengthening individual rights and freedoms.

This year Turkey is set to implement the Judicial Reform Strategy Document, a plan unveiled on May 30 to improve the working of the nation's judiciary.

It is a priority item in parliament, which started a new term this month after returning from summer recess.

*Writing by Sena Guler