Markus Löning, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, left yesterday (31 October) on a trip to Turkey. His programme will take him to the eastern Turkish city of Van as well as Istanbul and Ankara.
Löning’s intention is to gain a clearer picture of current human rights developments in Turkey and to assess these trends in the light of the country’s ongoing negotiations on EU accession. To this end the Human Rights Commissioner will hold talks with government officials and parliamentarians as well as representatives of think tanks, the media and non-governmental organizations. On 4 November 2010 at 10.00 he is also scheduled to give a lecture at Ankara University’s European Union Research Center (ATAUM).
On 9 November the European Commission will be publishing its latest progress report on Turkey’s negotiations on EU accession.