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Under the heading of `Ombudsman and the Rights of the Fragile
Groups`, the panelist will elaborate on women rights, rights of the
disabled as well as fight against discrimination.

Today, women rights are expressed as human rights. Likewise, the
rights of the disabled are treated within the context of human rights.
As for fight against discrimination, not granting equal opportunities,
making discriminations is not only violation of human rights but also
an attitude and behavior. For this reason, many EU Member States
established organizations to ensure equal opportunity.

Some acts in breach of the principle of equality are covered by the
directives of the European Council and majority of them have been
determined upon complaints.
For instance, discrimination on basis of race, color, religion, believes,
xenophobia, jokes that degrade human dignity, denial of access of
ethnic groups to public places can be the concrete examples.

Turkey became a party of the United Nations Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in
1985 and has been fulfilling its constitutional and legal obligations in
a fast track fashion.
According to the CEDAW, an additional protocol has been created.
Turkey is one of few countries that recognized this protocol in the
first wave. This additional protocol gives an individual or members
of a group to file a complaint at the CEDAW Committee if they feel
like the government does not comply with the provisions of the
convention.
Turkey adopted a Law on People with Disabilities in 2005. Likewise,
Turkey became a party of the the United Nations Convention on the
right of Persons with Disability in 2009. When the report on the review
of the rights of the disabled people by the Human Rights Committee
of the TGNA of 2013 involves the issues majority of which fall into
the mandate of the Ombudsman. There is no organization of equal
opportunity in Turkey. Therefore, investigation of the violation of
equal opportunity is the duty of Ombudsman. Speaking of the rights
of the fragile groups, I believe that there will be further need to further
clarify the duties of the institution.

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