The Council of Europe HELP courses International Cooperation in Criminal Matters and Family Law and Human Rights were launched for the first time in Turkey on 10 January. A group of 30 rapporteur judges participated in these two courses launched in Ankara.

Participants were welcomed by Mustafa Tayip Çiçek, the Deputy General Director of the Directorate General of Foreign Affairs and European Union, Ministry of Justice (MoJ) who praised the cooperation with the Council of Europe HELP Programme and stressed the value and benefit that aforesaid HELP online courses offer for the training of rapporteur judges.

After the welcoming speech, the participants subsequently received a detailed introduction to the HELP Programme, its methodology, the HELP e-learning online platform, and courses by Seran Karatarı Köstü, rapporteur judge at the Department of Human Rights within the Ministry of Justice, former seconded as Senior Project Coordinator within the HELP.

Following the launching event, participants will take the course online over a two-month period.

The HELP course was implemented in the framework of the HELP in Turkey project, in close cooperation with the Directorate General of Foreign Affairs and European Union, MoJ in Turkey.

Seven rapporteur judges who prepare Government observations to the European Court of Human Rights, working in the Human Rights Department of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in Turkey had the chance to attend the launch of the Council of Europe HELP online course Property Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. This course is launched in the country for the first time.

The HELP course was implemented in the framework of the HELP in Turkey project thanks to the long-lasting cooperation with the Human Rights Department of the MoJ.

More than 300 trainee judges and prosecutors attend the Council of Europe HELP course Introduction to the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights launched in both English and Turkish.

The President of the Justice Academy of Turkey, Mr Muhittin Özdemir, welcomed the participants to this course launch praising the cooperation with the Council of Europe HELP Programme and stressing the value and benefit that HELP online courses offer for the training of trainee judges and prosecutors.

Dr. Musa Tanrıseven, HELP Focal Point in Turkey and trainer-judge at the Justice Academy of Turkey (JAT) introduced the participants to the Council of Europe Human Rights Educational for Legal Professionals Programme (HELP), to its methodology and the e-learning online platform and the courses available.

Mr Süleyman Kaynar and Mr Onur Utku Sevim, tutors of this course and Rapporteur judges at the JAT, subsequently presented the expertise of HELP Programme and its large selection of online course dealing with Human Rights issues and engaged with the participants on the role and function of HELP tutors.

The course will be implemented over a one-month period and it was implemented in the framework of the HELP in Turkey project, in close cooperation with the Justice Academy of Turkey.

  Access the catalogue of the Council of Europe HELP courses in Turkish