Turkey and the Council of Europe

Date of accession
Turkey became a member of the Council of Europe on 9 August 1949.

Committee of Ministers
- Foreign Minister Abdullah GÜL represents Turkey in the Committee of Ministers.
- Ambassador Numan HAZAR has been the Permanent Representative of Turkey to the Council of Europe since November 2001.

Parliamentary Assembly
Turkey is represented in the Parliamentary Assembly by a delegation of 12 representatives and 12 substitutes.
- Murat MERCAN (EPP/CD) is the head of the delegation and Parliamentary Assembly Vice-President.

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe
Turkey is represented in the Congress by a delegation of 12 representatives and 12 substitutes.
- Yavuz MILDON (EPP/CD) is Vice-President of the Congress.
- Yılmaz BÜYÜKERŞEN (SOC), Eskişehir Centre, is the head of the delegation.

Budget
The Council of Europe's ordinary budget for 2003 is € 175,490,000. The contribution of Turkey is € 5,372,801 (i.e. 3.0616 %).

Human Rights
Turkey ratified the European Convention on Human Rights on 18 May 1954. It recognised the right of individual petition on 28 January 1987.
- The Judge for Turkey at the European Human Rights Court is Rıza TÜRMEN.
- Applications lodged against Turkey in 2002 : 3036
- Judgments on the merits : 105 of which 54 violations, 2 non violations, 45 friendly settlements and 4 striking out.

Conventions
To date, Turkey has ratified and signed the following conventions

Co-operation programmes
- Legal assistance : The current programmes are designed to help new member States to press ahead with their institutional, legislative and administrative reforms. Furthermore, specific programmes, jointly funded by the European Commission and the Council of Europe, have been - or are being - implemented in certain countries, the aim being to establish an institutional and legal framework consistent with European standards.
- Freedom of expression and media : In order to promote the functioning of professional, independent and pluralistic media in Europe, the Council of Europe has since 1989 offered programmes of assistance to its current and potential member States. The programme for Assistance and Technical Co-operation in the media field (ATCM) covers a wide range of issues such as the rights and responsibilities of journalists; the regulation of the press, radio and television sectors; access to information etc.

Updated : 16.12.2003