First Lady Sibel Tatar on Wednesday presented the Draft Law on Juvenile Justice prepared by legal experts in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of Children approved by the TRNC parliament in 1996 to the Speaker of Parliament Zorlu Töre.

The new law aims to reintegrate children involved in crime back into society and to keep children’s rights and human rights of children at the highest level.

Speaking during the visit, Sibel Tatar said that the bill envisages the creation of laws and regulations concerning juvenile rehabilitation centres and homes which contribute to the rehabilitation process of children involved in crime.

She expressed her expectation for all MPs in parliament to contribute and support the work being carried out.

“We will continue to do the best for our children, who are the guarantee of our future,” Tatar added.

She also thanked lawyers Laden Asilzade, Melis Türkkal, Arzu İzveren, Melek Mestan, Emel Serdaroğlu, Beste Aybars, Nevin Ersoy, Sevilay Yıldırımer and Ziba Akkurt who contributed greatly to the preparation of the draft law.

The Speaker of Parliament Zorlu Töre for his part stressed that children were a nation’s greatest wealth and said “it is the duty of those who govern the state to protect them from all kinds of dangers and to raise them to become healthy and educated citizens who serve the good of society.”

Stating that the General Assembly will carry out the necessary work with sensitivity, Töre expressed his belief that the Legal and Political Affairs Committee will also work on this issue.

During her visit to the Republic’s Assembly, Sibel Tatar was accompanied by the Presidential Department Director Serkan İlseven, a member of the Presidential Committee on Women, Children and Family Assoc. Prof. Dr. Süheyla Erbilen and lawyers Ziba Akkurt, Melis Turkkal, Beste Aybars and Emel Serdaroğlu.

The Chairman of the Parliamentary Legal and Political Affairs Committee on Foreign Relations Yasemin Öztürk, the National Unity Party (UBP) Deputy Hasan Küçük and Independent Member of Parliament Ayşegül Baybars were also present during the meeting.