Established by Law No. 6701, in line with the UN Principles Related to the Status of National Human Rights Institutions, the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Turkey is an independent public institution with the administrative and financial autonomy.

The main function of the Institution is “protection and promotion of human rights based on human dignity.” Within this context, the Institution considers and prioritizes that Article 16 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights conventions and national legislations as “the right to marriage and family and protection of the family” as one of the fundamental rights affecting the general human rights.

Pursuant to international human rights conventions, state and society are responsible for right to protection of the family. Right to protection of family is considered both under the negative rights which refer to the individual rights as first generation of rights and the positive rights which refer to second generation of rights. Considering the impact of the family on the right to development, there is no doubt that the right to protection of family is also considered under the third-generation of rights, (solidarity rights). For these reasons, the right to protection of the family is an indispensable right which is related to all dimensions of human rights.

On the other hand, it is observed that, in practice, the family cannot be protected. The power struggles in the family has been emerged, the balance of love, respect, roles, rights and duty among family members is deteriorated, violence and abuse are widespread, children cannot develop healthy identities and their future becomes dark and  the negligence or the wrong measures taken by the states to protect the family deepen the crisis.

Within this context, through academic publishing and symposium, Human Rights and Equality Institution of Turkey (TİHEK) aims to contribute to the literature on right to protection of the family, to find solution to the problems faced, and to promote awareness raising on this issue.

In this context, TİHEK is going to organize a Symposium on Right to Protection of the Family within the context of Human Rights, on 29 - 30 April 2019 in Ankara. Contributions from those interested through written paper to the Symposium will be an honor for us. Those who would like to make a presentation at the Symposium should send their summaries to sempozyum@tihek.gov.tr by following the rules and time schedules. Summaries should be composed of 500-600 words and include the method of research and possible findings. Summaries that are accepted to be presented at the Symposium, will be in the Symposium booklet.  Papers whose full texts are not delivered on the date specified shall be deemed to be unacceptable and shall not be included in the Symposium. The papers presented at the symposium will be published as a book. In addition, the papers that cannot be presented at the Symposium will be published on the Peer Reviewed Journal of Human Rights and Equality Institution of Turkey, special issue on “Right to Protection of the Family”, on the condition that they are successful in editorial and peer review process. Participation in the symposium is free of charge. The opinions presented in the symposium belong to the presenter.