KurdistanObserver.com

Members of Turkish Rights Board Call it Quits

 Feb 8, 2005

IHDK chairman and three other members of the presidential board have resigned from their posts, alleging they were rendered incapable of continuing their work

Turkish Daily News

The Prime Ministry Human Rights Advisory Board (İHDK) chairman Prof. İbrahim Kaboğlu and three of the top members of the board resigned on Monday, noting that they were incapable of continuing with their work, because the government had no intention of listening to them.

He said: “We weren't pushed out for neglecting our work, we were pushed out for performing our work properly. Some circles reacted negatively when we made a certain decision or became angry when we proposed something they did not like.”

The government announced on Feb. 3 the term of office had ended for 14 members of the 78-member Board including Chairman İbrahim Kaboğlu, reported CNN-Turk television on its Web site.

Speaking at the press conference, Kaboğlu said his attorney had filed a lawsuit against the government for terminating the terms of 14 members.

The İHDK is an autonomous committee that was established by the Prime Ministry on Feb. 26, 2003 to draft reports and make recommendations on ways to improve human rights standards in Turkey. However, they became the focus of significant debate when a report on minorities and charges were filed against some of the board members.

The board had suggested a reinterpretation of the definition of minority, which some claimed violated the constitution.