Turkey prepares media reform packageMarch 17, 2012 - 10:49 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Turkish Ministry of Justice has been preparing a series of reform packages in the fields of freedom of expression, press freedom and human rights, with the aim of decreasing the number of the cases concerning Turkey at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Hurriyet Daily News reported. “The number of applications to the ECHR is expected to reach 3,500 by the end of this year. We have made steps to solve these cases within Turkey’s internal legislation system. We will drop this issue from Turkey’s agenda,” Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin told journalists at a press briefing in Istanbul. Starting Sept 23, individual applications will be accepted by the Turkey’s Constitutional Court, Ergin added. Turkey’s EU reform monitoring group met in Istanbul on March 16. The EU Minister Egemen Bağış, Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, and Interior Minister İdris Naim Sahin all attended the meeting. There are important regulations in the third judiciary reform package in terms of extending press freedom and freedom of expression in Turkey, Ergin told the press conference organized at the sidelines of the meeting. “The action plan on the freedom of expression,” prepared by the Ministry of Justice, is set to be implemented by April 2012, Ergin announced. “We are trying to create an internal legislation system in order to decrease the number of the cases that are taken to the ECHR by Turkish citizens,” Minister Ergin said. “We want to solve these kinds of cases in Turkey if possible. If the ECHR accepts this on March 20, we will form a legal commission and look for a consensus in this commission before cases are taken to the ECHR,” Ergin added. Established in September 2003, the reform monitoring group closely monitors regulations regarding political criteria and their implementation, as well as the implementation of political reforms. The group will hold its next meeting in the northern province of Ordu. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. |