EU ombudsman says Turkey’s chief ombudsman institution will contribute to democracy

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkey's Chief Ombudsman Mehmet Nihat Ömeroglu met EU Minister Egemen Bağış recently.

Establishing an ombudsman institution will help Turkey become a more balanced democracy, based on the rule of law and separation of powers, European Ombudsman P. Nikiforos Diamandouros said Sept. 2.

Diamandouros met Turkish President Abdullah Gül, EU Minister Egemen Bağış, along with Turkey’s Chief Ombudsman Mehmet Nihat Ömeroglu.

After his meeting with Bağış, Diamandouros told reporters that it was a historic moment for him to meet Ömeroglu, after having committed 15 years of personal effort to see Turkey introduce an ombudsman. He added that Turkish leaders’ meetings with him demonstrated how much Turkey pays attention to the institution of the chief ombudsman.

Diamandouros will also participate in the International Ombudsman Symposium in Ankara on Sept. 3.
European Parliament Rapporteur on Turkey Ria Oomen-Ruijten is among the participants at the symposium, which will be attended by the ombudsmen of European countries along with local and foreign academics.

“Ombudsman Practices in Europe - the Relation with Administration and Jurisdiction” will be the first session of the symposium. The second session is titled “Ombudsman Institution, Law Practice and Functionality.”

Turkey’s first ever chief ombudsman, Mehmet Nihat Ömeroğlu, began actively working in his post in late March after taking his oath in December 2012.