10 December 2015•Update: 11 December 2015
ANKARA
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu have issued statements Thursday to celebrate the 67th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Erdogan emphasized that the declaration has been the global reference in terms of fundamental rights and freedoms and a hope and warranty for millions of people all over the world. Erdogan also noted that Turkey has been among the first countries to sign the declaration.
"Turkey has made headway to spread fundamental rights and freedoms to all sections of the society with reforms within the last 13 years," said Erdogan.
Erdogan stressed that in a period when the Syrian conflict has deeply impacted numerous countries, Turkey has opened its borders to more than 2 million persecuted people without discrimination on that the basis of religion, language, color and became the inner conscience of the international society.
"We see that terrorist organizations like PKK, YPG [Syrian group affiliated to the terrorist PKK], DHKP-C [armed ultra-leftist organization], Daesh, al-Qaeda and Boko Haram are the most important obstacles for fundamental rights and freedoms with their inhuman acts. We need international cooperation and solidarity more than ever to deal with these murderers. Turkey will press ahead with counterterrorism by keeping the balance between security and freedoms." Erdogan said.
Turkish Prime Minister Davutoglu also issued a statement and noted that the International Human Rights day was important for those who struggle for a world in which people are not discriminated according to their beliefs and ideas.
"Being among the first countries to sign the declaration, elevating the human dignity by the fundamental rights and freedoms is the most important moral reference and duty for Turkey. Our country will always stand not only by its own citizens but also by all the people who have been [...] oppressed around the world," said Davutoglu.
The UN General Assembly proclaimed Dec. 10 as Human Rights Day in 1948 and formally adopted the day in 1950 to bring to worldwide attention to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as "the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations", according to the UN's website.
