PROTECTION OF VICTIMS’ RIGHTS IN EUROPEAN UNION AND TURKEY:WHERE DOES TURKEY STAND IN THE TRANSFORMATION FROM ‘SUSPECT CENTRED’ ONE?

As of 1st July 2013, the number of countries in the European Union will be 28. Along with trying to ensure free movement of goods and services, legal and structural harmonisations and standardisations in the union, the EU try to make new arrangements to harmonise or standardise services and treatments of crime victims to prevent secondary victimisation due to legal, cultural, economic, psychological or language problems. Turkey, either due to the EU accession process oras a signatory of "the European Convention on Compensation for Victims of Crimes of Violence" which was signed on 24th November 1983 is expected to take some measures in protecting victims of crime. However, in practice, the actions taken in favour of victims have been severely limited. This article evaluates the developments in the EU and Turkey in the rights and protection of victims of crime since the 1960s and recommends that Turkey should urgently take necessary measures to have a balanced justice system, which currently leans in favour of suspects.