A/HRC/44/14 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its thirty-fifth session from 20 to 31 January 2020. The review of Turkey was held at the 12th meeting, on 28 January 2020. The delegation of Turkey was headed by the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Director of European Union Affairs, Ambassador Faruk Kaymakcı. At its 16th meeting, held on 30 January 2020, the Working Group adopted the report on Turkey. 2. On 14 January 2020, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Turkey: Bahrain, Slovakia and Somalia. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of Turkey: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/35/TUR/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/35/TUR/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/35/TUR/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Armenia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Liechtenstein, Portugal, on behalf of the Group of Friends on national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America was transmitted to Turkey through the troika. These questions are available on the website of the universal periodic review. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The head of the delegation described the comprehensive process Turkey had undertaken to prepare for the review, which had included consultations with civil society. Recommendations from the second review cycle had guided the development of human rights policies by the Reform Action Group, which was the leading platform for implementation and follow-up of human rights reforms in the country. 6. Providing an update on national developments since its previous review, the delegation noted that Turkey was an active member of the coalitions that had been established to counter terrorism and organized crime. In particular, it was engaged in simultaneous efforts to combat multiple terrorist organizations operating within its territory and along its borders, namely the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the Partiya Yekitiya Demokrat/People’s Protection Units (PYD/YPG), the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) and Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Daesh), helping to protect the borders of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Its fight against terrorism protected first and foremost persons’ right to life and other fundamental rights. 7. Turkey was facing the biggest influx of refugees in the world and was currently home to around 4 million refugees. In hosting them, Turkey was upholding its international obligations and the human rights and dignity of those refugees, unlike certain countries, where hostility against refugees, xenophobia, hate speech and Islamophobia were on the rise. 2