The Turkish Ministry of Justice released its "Judicial Reform Strategy" document on May 30. Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul said the report took a full year to prepare and that over 20,000 people were consulted. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested that the reform strategy puts Turkey on track for compliance with the EU accession process. Yet the EU Commission's annual progress report for Turkey this year, published May 29, contained its harshest criticism of Turkey's human rights record yet.

Does the Judicial Reform Strategy have the potential to change the course of Turkey's human rights record? Can it be read as a sign of a shift in Turkey from authoritarianism to democracy? Does it mean Turkey is moving closer toward Europe or away from it?

While introducing the strategy document on May 30, Erdogan said, “Though the promises made to us [by the EU] are not kept, we express our commitment to the process of full accession to the EU with this reform document.”

The strategy promises reform across vast areas of the judicial sector, stating that "a clear and measurable action plan" will be prepared, in addition to the establishment of "a monitoring and evaluation board" within three months of publication. The proposed regulations outlined in the document have the potential to contribute to improved human rights and rule of law. Such measures include: