5.16. SDG 16. PROMOTE PEACEFUL AND INCLUSIVE SOCIETIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, PROVIDE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR ALL AND BUILD EFFECTIVE, ACCOUNTABLE AND INCLUSIVE INSTITUTIONS AT ALL LEVELS As well as life, education, health and other fundamental rights for all, access to justice for all and protection of peace environment are essential to ensure that sustainable development is fully realised. Prevention of all forms of violence and crime, which is a fundamental human rights violation, is also a prerequisite to achieve the targets. Ensuring the rule of law, inclusive, effective and transparent institutionalisation, integrating access to information and fundamental rights into social practices are important and are guaranteed by the Constitution of our country. POLICIES In addition to NDPs and strategic plans of relevant public institutions, key policy documents on SDG 16 include the Judicial Reform Strategy, National Strategy for Combating Organised Crime and Action Plan (2016-2018), Strategy on Combat against Drugs and Action Plan (2018-2023), Urgent Action Plan for Combat Against Drugs, National Cyber Security Strategy, National Strategy of Children’s Rights and Action Plan, Combating Violence Against Women National Action Plan, Information Society Strategy and Action Plan. The key components of the policy framework in line with SDG 16 are as follows: • Ensuring that the trial proceeds fairly, rapidly, effectively, safely and accurately in accordance with the requirements of rule of law and norms of universal law, • Accelerating the trial in judicial and administrative jurisdiction, • Promoting protective and preventive legal approach, • Strengthening victim-centred approach in the criminal justice system, • Strengthening the right to defence and legal aid to facilitate access to the judiciary, • Informing the beneficiaries of justice services on the legal issues and the judicial process, • Developing practices for disadvantaged groups in courts and penitentiaries, • Promoting the use of information technologies in justice and judicial services to increase access to justice, • Promoting legal clinics, • Adopting risk management by prioritising preventive and protective security services, • Increasing the level of public awareness for eliminating violence and discrimination against women and children, • Guiding young people to areas such as sports, culture and arts to prevent them from turning to violence and harmful habits, • Continuing to combat informality and corruption, • Increasing the capacity and effectiveness of institutions to combat all crimes, including combat against trafficking, organised crime and terrorism, which disturbs the public peace and causes fear and anxiety, • Protecting young people from terrorist organisations, preventing recruitment activities of terrorist organisations, taking measures for eradicating sources supporting terrorism, • Strengthening cooperation between national and international organisations in the combat against terrorism, organised crime, cybercrime, narcotic crimes and trafficking, • Ensuring participation, transparency and citizen satisfaction by increasing the speed and improving the quality of public services, • Undertaking active works for improving global governance on multilateral platforms. LEGISLATION Our legislation, especially the Constitution, guarantees fundamental rights and freedoms, the rule of law and equal access to justice. In addition, reduction and prevention of all forms of crime and violence and related sanctions are included in the legal regulations in detail. IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS AND IMPROVEMENT AREAS SDG 16 is assessed on three focus areas: i. Prevention of crime and violence; ii. Equal access to justice; and iii. Effective governance. In the context of the prevention of crime and violence, in Turkey it is considered important to address not only the consequences of crimes but also the factors that constitute the crime more systematically. In this context, measures are 121 TURKEY’s 2nd VNR 2019 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS “Strong Ground towards Common Goals”
taken for the social segments which may be under the risk of experiencing violence such as children, youth and women. Efforts are made to prevent violence by such measures as restriction order against those who commit violence, close protection under the Law on Family Protection and Preventing Violence Against Women, Turkish Criminal Code and Turkish Civil Code. Also, more effective and deterring measures to prevent violence against women and children are on the agenda of TGNA. The Monitoring Committee on Violence Against Women formed with the participation of all relevant public institutions and organisations, universities and NGOs, meeting annually on a regular basis, evaluates the developments and offers recommendations. Several works are undertaken to increase awareness and sensitivity for combating domestic violence against women and children. In this context, training is provided to public officials, including law enforcement forces, healthcare personnel and religious officials. In the context of Pilot Scheme for Using Surveillance Systems Through Technical Methods, an electronic cuff system is scaled up to prevent those who perpetrate or are likely to perpetrate violence from approaching the victims. On the other hand, KADES system (mobile application) has been developed and implemented for women who have been victims of violence and are under risk. In particular areas such as health and sports, deterrent role of the legislation in the context of the prevention of violence was strengthened by increasing its power of sanction. Substantial progress was made towards the protection of the child and the inclusion of their rights in social culture, public and social practices and services in the matter of preventing all forms of violence and abuse against children in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Works are undertaken on implementing, strengthening and monitoring preventive and supportive measures for children pushed to crime. “Alo 183” Helpline for Family, Women, Children, Persons with Disabilities and Social Service provides psychosocial, legal and economic counselling services to women and children victim of or at risk of violence and in need of support on a 24/7 basis. Our country has been under attack for years by various terrorist organisations that are separatist, subversive and abuser of religion. The combat against such terrorist organisations is currently continuing at national and international scales. Under the concept of a full-scale fight against terrorism which aims to eliminate terrorism along with all its elements and consequences, on one hand, operational activities are undertaken and on the other hand, training and seminar activities are undertaken regularly to increase the professional knowledge and capacity of security forces. Also, awareness- raising of citizens on terrorism and combat against terrorism are ongoing. Importance is attached to strengthen the institutions to combat terrorism and crime in terms of human resources, toolkit and equipment. In the context of public awareness raising on combating terrorism, 807,000 citizens were outreached through more than 5,000 events by the Directorate General of Security. Through the Fixed and Mobile License Plate Recognition Systems, instant inquiry can be performed by means of automatic recognition of vehicle brand, model and license plate information and audible and visual alarms for stolen, wanted vehicles and fake license plates are established and functional. Turkey is among the countries directly affected by drugs due to its geographical location and its young population. Our country became a transit and destination country both in trafficking of heroin produced in Asia and transferred to Europe, and in trafficking of synthetic drugs and chemicals produced in Europe and transported to Asia. In this context, special attention is given to combating drugs usage. The Higher Board on Combating Drugs which was established in 2014 with the aim to ensure inter-agency cooperation and coordination, identify key strategies, monitor and evaluate its implementation was re-organised in 2017 as the Higher Board on Combating Addiction. Through NARKOTIM Project initiated in 11 pilot provinces in 2014, significant progress has been made in street-based combat against drugs in 81 provinces. By the Law enacted in 2015, scope and sanctions of offenses related to drugs or stimulants were increased. While 2,346 operations were executed by NARKOTIMS in 2014, this number increased to 37,092 in 2018. In addition, tracking and monitoring became more effective through the “Drugs Decision Support System” which hosted the instant data from 28 agencies combating drugs. 122 TURKEY’s 2nd VNR 2019 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS “Strong Ground towards Common Goals”
By the Law enacted in 2015, security services are made effective by increasing duties and powers of security forces and law enforcement authorities in the combat against crime, in particular terrorism. Significant progress has been made in expanding the Urban Security Management System (USMS) which contributes to the prevention of crimes and the capture of perpetrators. As of April 2019, USMS infrastructure was established in 81 province and 836 district centres, and installation work is underway in 85 districts. In the context of ensuring equal access to justice, considerable steps were taken in the context of ensuring the rule of law and facilitating equal access to justice for all. Through the amendment of the Constitution in 2017, the impartiality of the judiciary was strengthened, military courts and martial law were abolished. In 2012, the way was paved for submitting individual applications to the Constitutional Court, one of the fundamental rights and freedoms contained in the European Convention on Human Rights. The issue of legal aid, one of the important means of access to justice, was adopted in 2011. Amendment made in 2016, ensured lawyer appointment to those with limited financial resources, additionally exempt them from the proceedings costs as well. 873,375 persons benefitted from legal aid in 2018. In the same year, 1.17 USD per person per year was allocated for legal aids from the public budget. “Judicial interview rooms” were established to be used in taking testimony and statements of vulnerable segments going through judicial processes, in particular children. These rooms are used for the victims who need to give testimony or statements in special environments and for whom it is undesirable to confront with the perpetrators. Thus, the protection of persons in the judicial process and the strengthening of access to justice is supported. Currently, 59 judicial interview rooms were established and functional in 56 courthouses across 49 provinces. It is aimed to establish a culture of law by teaching basic legal knowledge in the field of access to justice from early ages in schools. In this context, the Law and Justice Course is taught as an elective course in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades starting from the 2013-2014 academic year. Also, since 2015, mandatory courses on Human Rights, Citizenship and Democracy courses are given to the fourth grade of primary school for two hours a week. By law clinics included in the curriculum of law faculties, legal support is provided to persons who cannot afford and the link between law education and practice is strengthened. In the context of work on domestic violence, 688 persons at courthouses and penitentiaries were informed, whereas more than 4,000 people were informed at mediation law clinics by students. In the context of Barrier-free Courthouse Project, physical arrangements started to enable the citizens with disabilities to undertake their proceedings in the courthouses more easily and quickly. All citizens of the Republic of Turkey are required to register themselves in the Central Population Administration System and obtain an identity card. In order for speed up birth notification, healthcare institutions where delivery took place were given the opportunity to make these notifications starting from 2017. Also, an identity number is given to foreigners whose records are kept in Turkey in the determined principles. In the context of effective governance, the citizen-oriented approach has been put into force effectively and important steps were taken in the field of public relations in performing public services. Policies and programmes on access to information were developed and important steps were taken in recent years. The right to petition and request information are granted in the context of ensuring citizen participation in public administration transparently. All communication channels between the state and the citizen were opened promptly and effectively to monitor and inspect applications, acts and actions of citizens related to their requests, complaints, notices, views, proposals and right to request information. E-government practices for providing public services in electronic form and increasing their use in many areas such as healthcare, social security, security and public finances were expanded. While approximately 600 services could be offered in 2012 on e-government portal, the number of services offered as of April 2019 reached 4,641. Thus, the financial and administrative burdens from public services on citizens and enterprises were reduced. 123 TURKEY’s 2nd VNR 2019 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS “Strong Ground towards Common Goals”