Today marked a significant milestone in the implementation of human rights trainings in Türkiye, as the European Union – Council of Europe Joint Programme on "Supporting the Effective Implementation of Turkish Constitutional Court Judgments in the Field of Fundamental Rights" has launched the first of a series of cascade trainings for judges and public prosecutors from all over the country. A series of 30 training sessions will deeply focus on the fundamental rights, mainly in the fields of right to a fair trial, right to property, right to life and prohibition of torture.
The opening ceremony was launched with the key remarks of the President of the Turkish Constitutional Court, the Minister of Justice, the President of the Justice Academy, the Head of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Ankara and the Head of Section of the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye.
Mr William MASSOLIN, the Head of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Ankara, has first addressed the audience by emphasising the importance of collaborative efforts in upholding the human rights standards through the trainings, which are essential to provide the legal professionals with first-hand knowledge on the Turkish Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights standards.
From the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, Mr Alexander Fricke, Head of Section for Civil Society, Fundamental Rights, Judiciary and Home Affairs underlined out the importance of complying with the judgments of the Constitutional Court as this is a a prerequisite for any justice system to function well.
Mr Muhittin Özdemir, President of the Justice Academy of Türkiye, referred to responsibility of the Academy as set by the Article 138 of the Turkish Constitution and in co-operation with national and international organisations and in partnership with the Council of Europe, the Justice Academy of Türkiye has been a focal point for HELP trainings in Türkiye and facilitated training and certification of 16 216 judges and prosecutors to this day.
Mr Yılmaz Tunç, Minister of Justice, stated in his speech that the right to a fair trial is a reflection of the principle of the rule of law and stated that they attach great importance to increasing the knowledge of judges and public prosecutors regarding the right to a fair trial.
As the final keynote speaker, Mr Kadir Özkaya, President of Turkish Constitutional Court, highlighted that the individual application to the Turkish Constitutional Court has been one of the biggest reforms in the field of law in Türkiye and the Turkish Constitutional Court has made important judgments with regards to safeguarding human rights. In this context, Mr Özkaya stated that they attach great importance to the trainings launched today also as a platform to enhance communication and interaction between judicial institutions.
Throughout the day, participants engaged in dynamic training sessions facilitated by experienced judges trained under the project. Practical exercises and case studies allowed the trainees to enhance their legal reasoning skills in connection with the case law of Turkish Constitutional Court and European Court of Human Rights.
The cascade trainings, a pivotal component of the Joint Programme, underscored a commitment to ensuring the effective implementation of Turkish Constitutional Court judgments and promoting awareness of human rights principles among legal professionals. With a robust framework in place and enthusiastic participation from all stakeholders, the event laid a solid foundation for further progress in the field of human rights training in Türkiye.
The Joint Project on “Supporting the Effective Implementation of Turkish Constitutional Court Judgments in the Field of Fundamental Rights” is co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe. The Turkish Constitutional Court is the end beneficiary of the Project.
