Prof. Dr. Turgut Tarhanlı

Turgut Tarhanlı is a Professor of Public International Law and Human Rights Law and the Director of the BİLGİ Human Rights Law Research Center. He is teaching “International Human Rights Law: Protection Mechanisms”, “Human Rights Activism I & II” and “Business and Human Rights” courses in BİLGİ  LL.M. and doctorate programs. 

He participated in research projects in the USA on conflict management and conflict resolution at Harvard University (Negotiation Project) and on universal jurisdiction and human rights (Princeton Project on Universal Jurisdiction) at Princeton University (Program in Law and Public Affairs).  In 2002, he was awarded the Certificate of Appreciation by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for his contribution in the protection of refugee rights in Turkey. In the same year he was appointed as a member of the Advisory Board on Human Rights of Turkey (2002-2005) and the Independent Experts Mission Group of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism (2002-2008). In 2006, he was elected as a member of the International Advisory Committee of Swedish NGO Foundation for Human Rights with the capacity of the representative of Europe. 

His individual and co-authored publications include "Remote Sensing of Earth Natural Resources by Satellites and International Law", "The Individual, Law and the State in a Changing World", "National Judicial Decisions in Turkey on Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Migration" (co-editor and co-author with Prof. Kemal Kirişçi), "Neither the Law Nor the Ethics: Inferno on Earth", "Unmanned Government: The Individual and The Individual’s Rights in Turkey", "Majority and Minority Policies in Turkey: Citizenship Discussion in the EU Process" (co-editor and co-author with Prof. Ayhan Kaya), "Round-Table Meetings Series on the New Constitution: Five Substantial Aspects of the New Constitution" (co-editor and co-author with Prof. Ergun Özbudun) and articles in Turkish and English.

In 2007, he served as a member of the international jury in “Human Rights in Cinema”, Council of Europe Film Award (FACE) that was organized for the first time and presented at the Istanbul International Film Festival by the Council of Europe. He is amongst the founding members of Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, Amnesty International-Turkey, ILI-Istanbul and Istanbul University Law Faculty Alumni Association; and also a member of Transparency International-Turkey, Global Relations Forum and Istanbul Bar Association (1980- ).

In 1996-2007, he published articles concerning foreign affairs, global issues and human rights on his column in Radikal, a liberal, national daily.

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