NGOs Should Not Be Deprived of Foreign Aid

NGO leaders and jurists criticize Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer's veto against the recently passed “associations’ law” what provides broader margin of activities for NGOs both in the country and overseas.

"These flaws follow from lack of necessary research for compatibility with the Constitutuion,” argues lawyer Ergin Cinmen of Istanbul bar association, evaluating President Ahmet Necdet Sezer's veto against the law of associations’.

President Sezer justifies his veto with Article 69 of the Turkish Constitution what he interprets to provide that “associations and political parties are not entitled to receive foreign financial aid,” albeit Article 69 literally does not include such a provision for the “associations” as such.

According Bülent Atamer, an activist from the human rights group Helsinki Citizens' Association, "the amendment provided the associations with the right to receive foreign funds. The state should not prevent this.”

Article 60 of the Associations’ Law what previously conditioned foreign financial aid with the “permission of the Interior Ministry” had caused troubles for such NGOs as Human Rights, who sought international aid under financial difficulties.

Lawyer Cinmen believes that Provision 10 of Article 69 of the constitution should either be abolished or amended.

"These endorsements or refusal are by no means related with social development,” says Atamer of Helsinki Citizens Association. “We wished that receiving foreign funds was allowed in the new law. The sate should regulate but not become an obstacle in international financial relations.” (MN/EK)