Torture List: Germany, Geece In; Turkey Out

Turkish Prime Ministry Human Rights Council (HRC) Chairman Associate Professor Vahit Bicak said yesterday the long ago implemented zero tolerance for torture policy, has begun to show its influence.


The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has removed Turkey, who had remonstrated to the world twice, from the list of countries that will be investigated for torture and added countries who had criticized Turkey this year. Turkey, which had been accused of violating human rights in its fight against terrorism, began using the slogan of "zero tolerance for torture" to help rid it of its past record. Positive results of from recent studies are being obtained. While the CPT announced to the world in 1992 that torture was being implemented in Turkey, it has now removed Turkey from among the list of countries that will be under investigation in 2005. The Committee runs the European Covenant on the prevention of torture. Having criticized Turkey for many years about "torture", Belgium's inclusion to the list drew widespread attention. Germany and Greece were also added to the list with accusations that people whose freedoms were taken away would be examined. The Committee will also investigate human rights violations in Hungary, Norway, the Russian Federation, San Marino, Slovakia and Ukraine along with these three prominent European countries. A letter to all related units, parliaments and prime ministries announced this development. Turkish Prime Ministry Human Rights Council (HRC) Chairman Associate Professor Vahit Bicak said yesterday the long ago implemented zero tolerance for torture policy, has begun to show its influence.

Haberin Tarihi : 27.04.2008