AHI Welcomes U.N. Human Rights Report on Türkiye; Notes Concern Regarding Rejection of Greek, Cypriot Recommendations
No. 57
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) welcomes the publication of the United Nations' Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) concerning Türkiye. The report, released ahead of the 49th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, compiles observations and recommendations from more than 120 U.N. member states on Türkiye’s human rights record.
Among the submissions, Greece and the Republic of Cyprus offered detailed recommendations addressing long-standing concerns, including religious freedom, property rights, the rule of law, and Turkey’s continued occupation of the Republic of Cyprus.
AHI voices its concern that Türkiye rejected all of the Republic of Cyprus’s recommendations and dismissed those from Greece, which called on Türkiye to:
Respect European Court of Human Rights decisions;
Uphold religious freedom for the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox minority;
Protect access to cultural heritage sites, including Hagia Sophia and the Chora Monastery;
Disclose information on missing persons in the Republic of Cyprus;
Reverse its withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention.
“Türkiye’s continued intransigence and rejection of good-faith recommendations from Greece and the Republic of Cyprus, and a whole host of other countries, underscore its disregard for international norms and human rights,” AHI President Nick Larigakis said. “The U.N. review process is critical in documenting these violations, and we commend Greece and the Republic of Cyprus for using it to spotlight systemic abuses.”
AHI urges the international community to give serious consideration to the concerns raised in the report and to hold Türkiye accountable to its international human rights obligations.
Read more: ProtoThema.
The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) is a non-profit policy center and think tank founded in 1974 that promotes the interests of the United States in foreign affairs involving Greece, the Republic of Cyprus, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Southern Europe.
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