Turkey Human Rights Foundation

The Turkey Human Rights Foundation (Turkish: Türkiye İnsan Hakları Kurumu Vakfı, TİHAK) is a civil society organisation headquartered in Ankara, Turkey. It was founded in 1999 by a group of intellectuals from scientific, artistic, publishing, press, trade union and legal circles who sought to establish a permanent human rights organisation grounded in universal values and principles. The foundation's stated purpose is to foster human rights awareness and culture among individuals and society through scientific and lasting activities. The idea for the foundation emerged in early 1999, when an entrepreneurial group comprising Nevzat Helvacı, Muzaffer İlhan Erdost, Hıdır Oktay and Prof. Dr. Mesut Gülmez prepared a presentation for the first Founders' Board. The first founders' meeting was held on 24 April 1999 at Türk Harb-İş in Ankara, where participants discussed the foundation's aims, activity areas and charter. The name "Türkiye İnsan Hakları Kurumu" and the abbreviation "TİHAK" were decided by majority vote, and the maximum number of members was set at 150. A commission was formed to draft the foundation charter. On 26 May 1999, the Founders' Board met for a second time, reviewed the draft charter prepared by the interim board and decided to establish TİHAK. The interim board included Nevzat Helvacı, Vahap Erdoğdu, Mustafa Yılmaz, Hıdır Oktay, Prof. Dr. Mesut Gülmez, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Kaboğlu, Asst. Prof. Dr. Osman Doğru, Dr. Mustafa Kemal Öke and Mahmut Tali Öngören, who died on 13 October 1999. The foundation was officially registered on 19 July 1999 in Ankara. The registration was affirmed by the Court of Cassation on 25 October 1999 and published in the Official Gazette on 26 November 1999. Following legal completion, the interim board decided to hold the first General Assembly on 10 December, International Human Rights Day. The first General Assembly took place on 10 December 1999, electing the principal and substitute members of the Board of Directors and the Supervisory Board. TİHAK operates as a non-profit foundation and is not a government body, despite its name containing "Kurumu" (institution/agency). It engages in panels, forums and publications on human rights topics, including the right to legitimate resistance. The foundation maintains an official website and a blog.

The Turkey Human Rights Foundation (TİHAK) was established in 1999 in Ankara as a civil society organisation. The initiative to create a human rights foundation emerged in early 1999, driven by a group of intellectuals from scientific, artistic, publishing, press, trade union and legal circles. They aimed to establish a permanent organisation based on universal values and the principles of the universality, indivisibility and interdependence of human rights. An entrepreneurial group consisting of Nevzat Helvacı, Muzaffer İlhan Erdost, Hıdır Oktay and Prof. Dr. Mesut Gülmez prepared a presentation for the first Founders' Board. The first founders' meeting was held on 24 April 1999 at Türk Harb-İş in Ankara, with the participation of those considering founding membership. The meeting reviewed prior work and discussed the foundation's aims, activity areas and charter. Debates focused particularly on the foundation's name and the number of founders. It was decided by majority vote to use the word "Kurum" instead of "Enstitü" and to name the foundation "Türkiye İnsan Hakları Kurumu" with the abbreviation "TİHAK". The maximum number of members was increased from 100 to 150. A commission was formed to prepare the foundation charter, comprising Nevzat Helvacı, Muzaffer İlhan Erdost, Vahap Erdoğdu, Hıdır Oktay, Prof. Dr. Mesut Gülmez and Oğuz Gemalmaz. On 26 May 1999, the Founders' Board convened for a second time, reviewed the draft charter prepared by the interim Board of Directors and decided to establish TİHAK. The first interim Board of Directors was to consist of Nevzat Helvacı, Vahap Erdoğdu, Mustafa Yılmaz, Hıdır Oktay, Prof. Dr. Mesut Gülmez, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Kaboğlu, Asst. Prof. Dr. Osman Doğru, Dr. Mustafa Kemal Öke and Mahmut Tali Öngören, who died on 13 October 1999. The foundation was officially registered on 19 July 1999 in Ankara. The registration was affirmed by the Court of Cassation on 25 October 1999 and published in the Official Gazette on 26 November 1999. After completing the legal establishment process and acquiring legal personality, the interim Board of Directors decided to hold the first General Assembly on 10 December, International Human Rights Day. The first General Assembly took place on 10 December 1999. It elected as principal members of the Board of Directors: Nevzat Helvacı, Vahap Erdoğdu, Mustafa Yılmaz, Hıdır Oktay, Prof. Dr. Mesut Gülmez, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Kaboğlu, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Osman Doğru, Dr. M. Kemal Öke and B. Süreyya Alpdoğan; as substitute members: Kaya Güvenç, Oğuz Gemalmaz and Duygu Berk; as principal members of the Supervisory Board: Ali Nejat Ölçen, Ömer Faruk Yenigün and Osman Tabak; and as substitute members: Mustafa Ayduran and Uğur Bilge. Since its establishment, TİHAK has engaged in activities such as panels and forums on human rights topics, including the right to legitimate resistance. It maintains an official website and a blog.

• 1999

  First founders' meeting held at Türk Harb-İş in Ankara; name TİHAK and membership limit decided.

• 1999

  Second Founders' Board meeting; decision to establish TİHAK.

• 1999

  Official registration of the foundation in Ankara.

• 1999

  Registration affirmed by the Court of Cassation.

• 1999

  Foundation published in the Official Gazette.

• 1999

  First General Assembly held on International Human Rights Day; boards elected.

Non-profit civil society foundation promoting human rights awareness and culture in Turkey.

1. 1Wikidata entry for Turkey Human Rights Foundationwikidata.org
2. 2Türkiye İnsan Hakları Kurumu Vakfı - Wikipedia (Turkish)tr.wikipedia.org