Turkish judge takes office at Euro court

Güven Özalp – BRUSSELS

Turkish scholar Saadet Yüksel, who was elected as a judge to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), took office on July 4 in a ceremony attended by the top brass of the Turkish judiciary.

Zühtü Arslan, head of the Turkish Constitutional Court, İsmail Rüştü Cirit, head of Turkey’s High Court of Cassation (Yargıtay), and Zerrin Güngör, head of the Council of State (Danıştay), participated in the oath-taking ceremony held at the ECHR building in Strasbourg. Kaan Esener, the permanent representation of Turkey to the Council of Europe, also attended the event hosted by ECHR President Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos.

Yüksel replaced Işıl Karakaş, the previous Turkish judge to the ECHR, after Turkey’s previous candidate lists were rejected three times. The 36-year-old Harvard University graduate is the youngest judge to be serving the European top court.

“My goal is to make rulings and undertake work that will contribute to the development of human rights in both Turkey and member states of Council of Europe, along with the entire Europe. I’ve always been interested in the judicial assurance of human rights in my work,” she told daily Hürriyet after being elected in April.