The Kurdish Human Rights Project, Legal Review - 3
Kerim Yildiz
Mark Muller
KHRP
On 17 January 2003, the Turkish Parliament approved a draft law amending the National Security Council (NSC) law, in line with a Constitutional amendment made on 3 October 2001. The Constitutional amendment was part of a package of legislative reforms, made in order to meet European standards of democracy, as set out in the EU Accession Partnership Agreement. That agreement stated, inter alia, that the NSC should align itself with its constitutional role as an advisory body to the government, and that civilian control over the military should be increased1. The 2002 Regular Report by the European Commission, which evaluated Turkey’s progress towards fulfilment of the criteria, noted that though the NSC was formally an advisory body to the government, its opinions carried more weight than mere recommendations and that the military members were particularly influential'.
With the amendment that passed Parliament, the deputy prime minister and justice minister will become NSC members, while the NSC decisions will be counted as “recommendations” only. The President, prime minister, defence, interior and foreign ministers, Chief of Staff, force commanders and NSC secretary are the current members of ... | 
