On 17 February 2025, Chief Ombudsman Mr. Mehmet Akarca met with the members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Ombudsman Association (OICOA) Board of Directors, of which he holds the Presidency, in an online meeting.
Details...On 23 January 2025, the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) of Qatar, Ms. Maryam bint Abdullah Al-Attiyah, and her accompanying delegation paid a visit to the Chief Ombudsman of Türkiye, Mr. Mehmet Akarca.
Students from the Academy of Public Administration of Kazakhstan and the Turkish-German University Visited the Ombudsman Institution of Türkiye
Ombudsman Mr. Sadettin Kalkan and Secretary General Mr. Mehmet Doğan hosted students from the Academy of Public Administration of Kazakhstan at the Ombudsman Institution of Türkiye. Based on the bilateral cooperation agreement between Hacettepe University in Türkiye and the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which provides postgraduate education to civil servants in Kazakhstan, 21 Kazakh civil servants currently studying at the Academy visited the Ombudsman Institution.
During the visit, Ombudsman Mr. Sadettin Kalkan shared information about the work carried out by the Ombudsman Institution. He emphasized that the duty of the Ombudsman is to enhance the quality of public services and ensure that public services operate smoothly and efficiently.
Highlighting that the fundamental aim of the state is to provide the best, fairest, and most effective services to its citizens, Ombudsman Mr. Sadettin Kalkan emphasized that in order to provide the best service, the public officials assigned to the administrations must receive the highest quality training.
He noted that the Ombudsman Institution, established in 2012, is a Constitutional institution affiliated with the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. “Our Institution is composed of one Chief Ombudsman and five Ombudsmen. We are elected by the Parliament and have a Parliamentary Ombudsman system. We are elected for a term of four years and may be re-elected only once. Citizens can lodge applications to our Institution regarding all matters related to the administration. There is a division of work among the Ombudsmen. My area of responsibility covers issues related to the operation of the civil servants system,” he stated.
Following his speech, Ombudsman Mr. Sadettin Kalkan answered participants' questions related to their postgraduate theses.
Ombudsman Mr. Sadettin Kalkan met with students from the Turkish-German University ILSA Law Club
Ombudsman Mr. Sadettin Kalkan met with students from the Turkish-German University International Law Students Association (ILSA) Law Club.
During the visit, Ombudsman Mr. Kalkan provided information about the work carried out by the Ombudsman Institution and ways to seek legal remedies. He explained that complaints lodged to the Institution are examined according to the principles of good administration and assessed for compliance with the law and the principle of fairness, to ensure that administrative bodies fulfill their duties and meet citizens' expectations
He noted that examinations are conducted upon the receipt of a complaint, emphasizing that a complaint application may be lodged to the Ombudsman Institution prior to pursuing court action, and that the Institution finalizes complaint applications within six months.
Ombudsman Mr. Sadettin Kalkan mentioned that at the end of each year an annual report is prepared regarding the work carried out by the Ombudsman Institution and presented to the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, where it is discussed during its Plenary Session.
Following his remarks, Ombudsman Mr. Sadettin Kalkan answered the students' questions.
E-mail: iletisim@ombudsman.gov.tr (For general inquiries)
E-mail: turkiye@ombudsman.gov.tr (For international affairs)
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