Turkish justice minister says Turkey can from now on propose friendly settlement in ECHR cases

ANKARA (A.A) - Turkey's justice minister said on Tuesday that Turkey might from now on propose friendly settlement in European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) cases. Sadullah Ergin said Turkey might not defend itself regarding certain issues in human rights violations from now on. "Turkey may accept the breach, and may propose a friendly settlement," Ergin told a joint press conference with Council of Europe (COE) Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland in Ankara. Ergin said Turkey was preparing a freedom of expression and freedom of press strategy document and an action plan, and executives had scrutinized models in six countries so far. "A draft will be prepared soon and it will be sent to parliament," Ergin said.  Ergin said he hoped number of files appealed to ECHR would drop as the Constitutional Court had started to accept individual cases, and violations would be less and less each passing day.  Also speaking to reporters, Jagland said most of the files at ECHR regarding Turkey were complaints about prolonged judicial transactions and breach of freedom of expression. Jagland said COE attached a particular importance to freedom of press and expression, and Turkey had a strong will to solve the issue.  Thorbjorn Jagland expressed belief that the conference on ECHR's rulings on Turkey would be the beginning of a serious change.