Füle answered motion on ill-treatment of juvenile prisoners in Turkey
Füle answered motion on ill-treatment of juvenile prisoners in Turkey
MEP Jürgen Klute, German Member of the European Parliament (GUE/NGL Group) and Coordinator of the European Parliament - Kurds Friendhip Group, tabled an official parliamentary written question to the EU Commission denouncing the ill-treatment of juvenile prisoners in Turkey, namely in Pozanti and Ankara prisons. He was asking to the EU Commission to intervene vis-a-vis of Turkish authorities to stop these ill-treatments.
Here is the full answer by EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Mr Stefan Füle (in charge also of the EU-Turkey Accession talks), on behalf of the European Commission.
"The Commission has been informed of the allegations of ill-treatment of juvenile prisoners in the Pozantý M Type Prison in Adana.
The Commission has also been informed that the Human Rights Committee of the Turkish Grand National Assembly has announced that it will investigate the allegations.
Turkey, as a country negotiating accession to the EU, needs to guarantee the fundamental rights and freedoms of all its citizens in line with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights. These include children's rights, the prevention of torture and ill-treatment in prisons as well as appropriate prison conditions. Moreover, as underlined in the 2011 Progress Report on Turkey, an urgent review of the system for dealing with juveniles is needed to minimize the number in prison and the time they spent there and make sure that detention conditions meet the needs of children.
The Commission intends to bring up the issue with the Turkish authorities, notably in the framework of the political monitoring.
As regards the Turkish Criminal Code and the Anti-Terror Law, the Commission has stressed at various occasions that they need to be amended in order to ensure full respect for fundamental rights in line with the European Convention on Human Rights and the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights.
Here is the full answer by EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Mr Stefan Füle (in charge also of the EU-Turkey Accession talks), on behalf of the European Commission.
"The Commission has been informed of the allegations of ill-treatment of juvenile prisoners in the Pozantý M Type Prison in Adana.
The Commission has also been informed that the Human Rights Committee of the Turkish Grand National Assembly has announced that it will investigate the allegations.
Turkey, as a country negotiating accession to the EU, needs to guarantee the fundamental rights and freedoms of all its citizens in line with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights. These include children's rights, the prevention of torture and ill-treatment in prisons as well as appropriate prison conditions. Moreover, as underlined in the 2011 Progress Report on Turkey, an urgent review of the system for dealing with juveniles is needed to minimize the number in prison and the time they spent there and make sure that detention conditions meet the needs of children.
The Commission intends to bring up the issue with the Turkish authorities, notably in the framework of the political monitoring.
As regards the Turkish Criminal Code and the Anti-Terror Law, the Commission has stressed at various occasions that they need to be amended in order to ensure full respect for fundamental rights in line with the European Convention on Human Rights and the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights.
