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STRASBOURG, Feb 15 (AFP) - 13h36 - Turkey has
made some legislative progress in protecting the
rights of Kurds and other minorities but lags well
behind in applying those laws, a Council of Europe
panel said Tuesday.
The European Commission against Racism and
Intolerance (ECRI) said in a report that Turkey --
which last December won approval to start long-term
accession talks with the European Union -- continues
to have "some gaps in the constitution and in
criminal, civil and administrative law as regards
action against racism and racial discrimination."
Kurds, which make up an estimated 20 percent of the
70-million-strong population, in particular
"encounter major problems related to the armed
conflict" in southeast Turkey, where Kurdish
separatists have been active in recent decades, it
said.
The commission recommended that Turkey's laws for
minorities and immigrants be strengthened, that
Kurdish problems be addressed, public awareness
campaigns be launched and the setting up of a
national anti-racism body to oversee the
initiatives.
The Council of Europe is a 46-nation organisation
that includes the EU's current 25 states plus non-EU
countries such as Turkey. Members are required to
adhere to the Council's human rights principles.
AFP
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