CAT/OP/TUR/1 complete financial and operational autonomy. This implies that a mechanism designated within a national human rights institution should enjoy such autonomy not only from the State party that designated it but also from the larger institution in which it is housed. The Subcommittee therefore recommends that the State party ensure that the funding provided to the mechanism is made through a separate line in the national annual budget referring specifically to the mechanism and ensure that the mechanism has its own infrastructure and is based in its own premises. 5 42. The Subcommittee also recommends that the State party facilitate joint training of members and staff of the national preventive mechanism in order to enhance its ability to efficiently fulfil, collectively and individually, its functions as provided in the Optional Protocol.6 Such training should cover interview techniques, visiting procedures and skills to detect signs and risks of torture and ill-treatment, in order to develop mechanism working methods and a comprehensive visiting methodology that will highlight institutional and systematic challenges, including those affecting vulnerable populations in places where persons are deprived of their liberty, as well as training on other preventive activities, as elaborated above in paragraph 39. 43. The Subcommittee wishes to be informed, as a matter of priority, about the steps taken by the State party to provide the mechanism with adequate human and financial resources to allow for its complete financial and operational autonomy. IV. Final recommendations 44. The Subcommittee recalls that the prevention of torture constitutes an ongoing and wide-ranging obligation of the State party, 7 which is achieved in part by the establishment and operation of an efficient national preventive mechanism. 45. The Subcommittee therefore requests that the State party keep the Subcommittee informed on an annual basis of any legislative and policy changes and other relevant developments regarding the mechanism, in order that the Subcommittee might continue to assist the State party in fulfilling its obligations under the Optional Protocol. 46. The Subcommittee emphasizes that its visit provides Turkey with an ideal opportunity to demonstrate its goodwill and readiness to fulfil its international obligations under the Optional Protocol, including in the context of negotiations on chapter 23 (“Judiciary and fundamental rights”) of the State party’s European Union accession process. In this respect, the Subcommittee regards its advisory visit and the present report as the commencement of a constructive dialogue with the State party. The Subcommittee stands ready to assist Turkey in fulfilling its obligations under the Optional Protocol, in particular by the provision of technical assistance and advice, in order to achieve the common goal of prevention of torture and ill-treatment in places of deprivation of liberty in the State party. 47. The Subcommittee therefore encourages the State party to promptly take advantage of the Subcommittee’s advisory function, in line with article 11 (b) of the Optional Protocol, as soon as such advice and assistance is needed. In addition, and further to paragraph 11 of the present report, the Subcommittee recommends that the State party make this report public, believing this in itself to be a preventive measure. Further, the Subcommittee recommends that the State party distribute this report to all the relevant government departments and institutions. 5 6 7 Ibid. Ibid., para. 31. General comment No. 2 (2007) on the implementation of article 2, paras. 3–4. 9

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