The Human Rights Association is an independent human rights organization defending the rights of all without making distinction of any kind among people, such as race, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, or any other reason since 1986. It is comprised of 33 branches and has more than 15.000 members. Since its foundation in 1990, the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey has been a respected human rights organization whose significance is acknowledged in national and international public opinion especially regarding its works on torture. Both of these organizations were established with demands coming from public in order to struggle against repression, cruelty and human rights violations in Turkey after 1980.
Throughout their 20 years struggle period, our organizations have been subjected to attacks and pressure from state organizations and organized political groups supported by state organizations.
All these oppression and attacks could not manage to impede the IHD’s and TİHV’s struggles in accordance with their institutional principles and international human rights instruments. The attempts to marginalize and efforts of putting us outside of law remained ineffective. Significance of the roles of the İHD and TİHV should not be underestimated in the starting of the discussions on concepts of human rights in Turkey and certain improvements made in the field of rights and freedoms in the country.
The İHD and TİHV are reliable and respected human rights organizations that the whole world relies on their remarks and practices take them as a reference and get suspicious about the formations and efforts that they do not participate in. Therefore, current government including Minister of Justice asked the İHD and TİHV’s participation for Human Rights Commission’s activities insistently. While the TİHV participated in Prime Ministry Human Rights Advisory Board, the İHD refused to be included in these commissions because of inappropriateness of structures and functions of these commissions to international standards. Likewise, both the İHD and the TİHV are invited to “Civil Society Summit” held on 9 September 2005 by current government. Besides, government sent a written invitation asking for their active participation in the negotiations period between Turkey and the EU.
The negotiations between İHD and/or TİHV and international institution, organization and persons have been always demanded by opposite sides. Minister of Justice should consider on the reasons of worldwide recognition of these organizations instead of being disturbed from this situation and describing the İHD and the TİHV as “marginal organizations that are away from public opinion”. Especially by confusing human rights problems and violations with humanitarian problems and drawing conclusions from such a mentality and making accusations can only be indicator of vision of the Minister of Justice.
Qualifying human rights organizations as the İHD and the TİHV with marginality and accusing them of supporting illegal organizations is an obvious weakness of the government, which claims that it has defended human rights and improved the general condition of the country in accordance with the human rights and protects rule of law. The government should reconsider its hesitant and insincere attitude towards human rights, and should acknowledge importance of notion of human rights. In that context it will be a sign of sincerity of the government to get down to work by apologizing to İHD and TİHV.
Yusuf Alatas Yavuz Önen
President of IHD President of TIHV