Turkish PM: "We construct a Turkey where people can express their thoughts freely"

ANKARA (A.A) - November 15, 2011 - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that they were constructing a Turkey where people could express and write their thoughts freely. Erdogan delivered a speech at a conference on the European Court of Human Rights' rulings on Turkey at Hilton Hotel in Ankara. Turkey had signed European Convention on Human Rights in 1954 and recognised the compulsory jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights in 1990, he recalled. Erdogan said the Turkish government took a more important step in 2004 and approved the supremacy of international human rights agreements over national legislation. Human rights had a universal aspect and basic human rights did not have different characteristics in different geographies, he said. Erdogan said they regarded the philosophy of Europe as a respect for basic rights and freedoms as well as multiculturalism. Premier Erdogan said Turkey's relations with the Council of Europe, European institutions and the EU were based on Europe's vision of civilization. Turkey was eager to reach European values for basic rights and freedoms, he said. "We know it is not easy to reach this level. A challenging process is needed," he said. The Justice and Development (AK) Party government has taken historic steps in regard to human rights and freedoms in the past nine years, he said. "Turkey is at a better point and has more advanced standards in regard to human rights and freedoms currently compared to the past," he said.