Both the EU and human rights groups on Wednesday (26 June) criticised EU candidate country Turkey for the rising number of reports of torture and maltreatment. Meanwhile, a survey has found that Turks are one of the four nations in the world that judge torture to be acceptable in some circumstances.

"Cases of torture and ill-treatment are still being reported [in Turkey], especially during arrests outside detention centres and also in the context of demonstrations," said Ulrike Hauer, the deputy head of the EU's office in Ankara, speaking at a press conference in the Turkish capital on Wednesday, according to a report from AFP.

"This trend was further exacerbated by the passing in June 2007 of a new police law granting wide-ranging powers of stop and search," she added.

Leading Turkish human rights organisations backed the criticism and expressed similar concerns.

"There is no serious will on the ground," Emel Kurma from the Helsinki Citizens Assembly, a European peace and human rights group, was reported as saying.

"There is a state reflex to protect the country's image and a lack of courage to face the realities," the campaigner continued.

The number of applicants claiming to have suffered from torture and maltreatment in Turkey is estimated to have increased to 310 last year - up from 222 in 2006, according to the Human Rights Foundation, which runs EU-backed rehabilitation centres for victims.

In the first five months of 2008, 112 people claimed abuse at the hands of security forces.

Turkey has been an EU candidate country since 1999, and launched accession talks with the bloc in October 2005.

Improvement of its human rights record has been one of the conditions that would allow Ankara closer to its goal of EU membership.

Support for torture against terrorists

Meanwhile, a report released by World Public Opinion – a consortium of research centers studying public opinion on international issues – showed that Turkey is one of the four countries in the world, together with India, Nigeria and South Korea, where a majority of people judge torture to be acceptable in some cases.

Some 34 percent of Turks declared they accepted the use of torture on terrorists "to save innocent lives," while 18 percent said "torture should be generally allowed."

The support for using torture in some cases has more than doubled in the country compared to 2006 (when it stood at 24 percent), while the number of those clearly opposing the practice has dropped from 62 to 36 percent, according to the survey.

Substantial increases in support for torture, in particular against terrorists, also occurred in the United States (up from 36 to 44%) and in Egypt (up from 25 to 46%).

By contrast, support for the prohibition of all kinds of torture was highest in Spain (82 %), Great Britain (82%) and France (82%), followed by Mexico (73%), China (66%), the Palestinian territories (66%), Poland (62%), Indonesia (61%), and Ukraine (59%).

The publication of the survey came just days ahead of today's International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

On this occasion, leading human rights NGO Amnesty International will organise events worldwide and "lead attempts to roll back the assault on the prohibition of torture, in particular the arguments that it is justified or necessary to counter the threat of terrorism," it said in a press release.

Both the EU and human rights groups on Wednesday (26 June) criticised EU candidate country Turkey for the rising number of reports of torture and maltreatment. Meanwhile, a survey has found that Turks are one of the four nations in the world that judge torture to be acceptable in some circumstances.

"Cases of torture and ill-treatment are still being reported [in Turkey], especially during arrests outside detention centres and also in the context of demonstrations," said Ulrike Hauer, the deputy head of the EU's office in Ankara, speaking at a press conference in the Turkish capital on Wednesday, according to a report from AFP.

"This trend was further exacerbated by the passing in June 2007 of a new police law granting wide-ranging powers of stop and search," she added.

Leading Turkish human rights organisations backed the criticism and expressed similar concerns.

"There is no serious will on the ground," Emel Kurma from the Helsinki Citizens Assembly, a European peace and human rights group, was reported as saying.

"There is a state reflex to protect the country's image and a lack of courage to face the realities," the campaigner continued.

The number of applicants claiming to have suffered from torture and maltreatment in Turkey is estimated to have increased to 310 last year - up from 222 in 2006, according to the Human Rights Foundation, which runs EU-backed rehabilitation centres for victims.

In the first five months of 2008, 112 people claimed abuse at the hands of security forces.

Turkey has been an EU candidate country since 1999, and launched accession talks with the bloc in October 2005.

Improvement of its human rights record has been one of the conditions that would allow Ankara closer to its goal of EU membership.

Support for torture against terrorists

Meanwhile, a report released by World Public Opinion – a consortium of research centers studying public opinion on international issues – showed that Turkey is one of the four countries in the world, together with India, Nigeria and South Korea, where a majority of people judge torture to be acceptable in some cases.

Some 34 percent of Turks declared they accepted the use of torture on terrorists "to save innocent lives," while 18 percent said "torture should be generally allowed."

The support for using torture in some cases has more than doubled in the country compared to 2006 (when it stood at 24 percent), while the number of those clearly opposing the practice has dropped from 62 to 36 percent, according to the survey.

Substantial increases in support for torture, in particular against terrorists, also occurred in the United States (up from 36 to 44%) and in Egypt (up from 25 to 46%).

By contrast, support for the prohibition of all kinds of torture was highest in Spain (82 %), Great Britain (82%) and France (82%), followed by Mexico (73%), China (66%), the Palestinian territories (66%), Poland (62%), Indonesia (61%), and Ukraine (59%).

The publication of the survey came just days ahead of today's International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

On this occasion, leading human rights NGO Amnesty International will organise events worldwide and "lead attempts to roll back the assault on the prohibition of torture, in particular the arguments that it is justified or necessary to counter the threat of terrorism," it said in a press release.

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Personally i strongly stand up for the admission of the Turkey into the european union (for many reasons), but the problem of torture is a real practical problem. It is not only an ethical problem. Because of the integration of the juridical european space, the european citizens need to have more and more equal and HIGH standards of juridical protections in each country of the Union.

Personally i strongly stand up for the admission of the Turkey into the european union (for many reasons), but the problem of torture is a real practical problem. It is not only an ethical problem. Because of the integration of the juridical european space, the european citizens need to have more and more equal and HIGH standards of juridical protections in each country of the Union.

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first,i'd like to ask which are your reasons for Turkish Membership in EU,Meme...Secondly,I'd like to say that the problem in Turkey is the judjing system,dependent from the military deep state(i hope you are aware of the role of military to this country...)
I'd also like to add that torture is a bad thing for me...but i am not sure if it has to exist in some cases..i really don't know...Finally,i would like to say that about 60% of Turkish people are nationalists,they believe that their country is superior to others and about 56% believe that their country should invade to others to take "their lands" back!!for god's sake i know Turkey more than you do,because our countries had conflicts(slaughters is a better word) since the Medieval times...and this country must NOT get into the E.U...If you want to know some reasons,you can ask me whenever you want...turkish military(which rules there) and turkish people(some of them are reaaly good but they are all led by propaganda) are outrageously imperialsits!

first,i'd like to ask which are your reasons for Turkish Membership in EU,Meme...Secondly,I'd like to say that the problem in Turkey is the judjing system,dependent from the military deep state(i hope you are aware of the role of military to this country...)
I'd also like to add that torture is a bad thing for me...but i am not sure if it has to exist in some cases..i really don't know...Finally,i would like to say that about 60% of Turkish people are nationalists,they believe that their country is superior to others and about 56% believe that their country should invade to others to take "their lands" back!!for god's sake i know Turkey more than you do,because our countries had conflicts(slaughters is a better word) since the Medieval times...and this country must NOT get into the E.U...If you want to know some reasons,you can ask me whenever you want...turkish military(which rules there) and turkish people(some of them are reaaly good but they are all led by propaganda) are outrageously imperialsits!

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*conflicts(slaughters is a better word for our relationship)
**Medieval

*conflicts(slaughters is a better word for our relationship)
**Medieval

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You can ask my dead ancestors too....

You can ask my dead ancestors too....

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Yep, meme is right, the problem of torture is a practical one.

Yep, meme is right, the problem of torture is a practical one.

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Turkey should not join the EU because Turkey is not an european country, geographical location is not in Europe.

They are different from other european nations and they don't have nothing in common with Europe.

Turkey should not join the EU because Turkey is not an european country, geographical location is not in Europe.

They are different from other european nations and they don't have nothing in common with Europe.

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I was talking as far as danger is concerned...Actually,geographically,they (unfortunately beacause it was Greek once)have a part of their country in Europe...but just think about that...They are servants of state department,their borders are in middle east,they are imperialit and militarists...they have a dishonest judjming system...could they be worse????????????????

I was talking as far as danger is concerned...Actually,geographically,they (unfortunately beacause it was Greek once)have a part of their country in Europe...but just think about that...They are servants of state department,their borders are in middle east,they are imperialit and militarists...they have a dishonest judjming system...could they be worse????????????????

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and i agree with Yef on his agreement with you

and i agree with Yef on his agreement with you

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The parts of Thrace region are greek lands and the best solution is to retun those lands to Greece and Turkey will remain only in Anatolia. Also they must leave Cyprus.

TURKEY STAY OUT FROM EUROPE!

The parts of Thrace region are greek lands and the best solution is to retun those lands to Greece and Turkey will remain only in Anatolia. Also they must leave Cyprus.

TURKEY STAY OUT FROM EUROPE!

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