Gul issues message on the occasion of international human rights day

On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day on December 10 and the 64th anniversary of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, President Abdullah Gul made a written statement, emphasizing the importance of human rights. "In recent years important progress has been made in our country on this issue and new mechanisms for the protection of rights and freedoms of our citizens and for the prevention of possible violations have been established," Gul said. Stating that respect for human rights and expansion of fundamental rights and freedoms was one of the foundations on which our political and societal culture was based, Gul noted, "The protection and expansion of human rights is possible not only through the carrying out of legal arrangements, but also through the full implementation of these [legal arrangements] and the embracing of human rights consciousness by all sections of society," Gül said." Gul also said in his message that it was important for individuals to be aware of the mechanisms that would help protect their rights and stressed that the state had been working to protect and expand human rights. "On the occasion of the Dec. 10 Human Rights Day, I find it useful to draw attention to our commitment to the principle of the universality of human rights and to once more emphasize that all rights should be equally implemented for everybody," Gul said.