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Chief Ombudsman Mr. Mehmet Akarca participated as a speaker in the session titled “Ensuring the Enforcement of Constitutional Rights through Ombudsmen and National Human Rights Institutions” at the International Ombudsman Symposium held in Baku.

In his speech, highlighting the crucial role of Ombudspersons as a bridge between citizens and public Institutions, Chief Ombudsman stated, “Beyond being institutions that merely review complaints, we are institutions that remind citizens of their rights and help them enjoy these rights; on the other hand, we are bodies that guide public institutions to carry out their acts and actions in line with the principles of the rule of law, human rights, democracy, transparency, accountability, equality, justice and good administration. With this holistic approach, Ombudspersons are guides who ensure that constitutional rights do not remain on paper and act as catalysts in their implementation.”

Emphasizing that the Ombudsman Institution of Türkiye evaluates the administrations’ acts and actions in terms of compliance with law, justice and human rights, Chief Ombudsman noted, “When examining applications, we take as the basis our Constitution, relevant national legislation, international conventions and case laws of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). We also conduct awareness-raising studies to increase citizens' awareness of seeking legal remedies. Our institution's decision-making processes are fast and applications are finalized within 6 months at the latest. We pay particular attention to applications concerning vulnerable groups and children and prepare special reports when deemed necessary.”

“Our mission is never to allow the rights and freedoms promised by constitutions to remain mere words on paper, but to ensure they become a living reality for every individual.”

In his speech, Chief Ombudsman added:

“The grave human rights violations occurring in the Palestinian territories, especially in the blockaded Gaza Strip, are becoming increasingly alarming, deeply wounding the conscience of humanity. The systematic massacres targeting civilians in the region have now reached the level of genocide. To say ‘enough’ to this barbarism, restore peace and security in the region and end the atrocities against civilians is a non-deferrable responsibility for all international human rights organizations. New and complex rights violations brought about by digitalization are further intensifying wars, internal conflicts, forced migrations, and the climate crisis. Yet no matter how great the challenges, our mission remains clear and unwavering: Never to allow the rights and freedoms promised by constitutions to remain mere words on paper, but to ensure they become a living reality for every individual. This is only possible through the presence of strong, independent, and effective institutions like ours.”

Chief Ombudsman further stated that the Ombudsman Institution of Türkiye has embraced the mission of documenting this historical tragedy and bringing it to the international agenda, adding, “In this context, we published a special academic edition titled ‘Ombudsman Academic Gaza Special Issue’ with the contributions of more than 130 respected scholars. Additionally, we have released a comprehensive report prepared by our experts, which clearly exposes the serious human rights violations in Gaza.”

Chief Ombudsman Mr. Mehmet Akarca also recalled the suffering endured by people due to the years-long unlawful occupation and human rights violations in Karabakh, and emphasized that today civilians including women and children are losing their lives on account of the ongoing attacks against Iran and the genocide in Gaza, underscoring the urgent need for these atrocities to come to an end.

Chief Ombudsman Mr. Mehmet Akarca’s Official Visits in Azerbaijan

As part of the conference, Chief Ombudsman Mr. Mehmet Akarca and the ombudspersons from various countries present in Azerbaijan paid a visit to the Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, Ms. Sahiba Gafarova.

Chief Ombudsman paid a visit to the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Azerbaijan, Prof. Dr. Birol Akgün.

In addition, he paid a visit to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan, Mr. Inam Karimov.