Our Vision

• Asylum seekers from war and persecution as well as other vulnerable migrants in Turkey have effective access to rights and safeguards informed by international law and recognized in domestic law;
  
  
• Turkey undertakes a modern, effective, transparent and inclusive governance of migration and asylum, informed by international standards and good practices, and safeguarding the rights of persons concerned;
  
  
• The overall supply of legal assistance services made available for asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants in Turkey is sufficient in both volume and quality to meet the diverse needs of the populations concerned.

Our Mission

• Empowering asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants in Turkey to access rights & safeguards under domestic and international law by providing reliable and effective legal information and assistance services grounded in expertise and field presence;
  
  
• Offering evidence-based assessments and constructive recommendations to promote improvements in Turkey’s legislation and policies governing migration and asylum, in accordance with international standards and good practices from around the world;
  
  
• Supporting efforts by bar associations, CSOs & legal professionals to achieve skills, operational efficacy & adequate financing of legal services for asylum seekers & migrants, by way of trainings, experience-sharing & advocacy around delivery models.

Our Values

• Empowering beneficiaries to make their own decisions and self-advocate for their rights:

We seek to empower beneficiaries to make their own decisions regarding their migration options and advocate for their own rights on the basis of accurate and adequate information and advice; We include beneficiaries and expect their involvement in all legal interventions made on their behalf;

• Respect for personal differences, and professional distance:

In all of our interactions with beneficiaries and other counterparts, we use language and observe conduct respectful of personal differences on the basis of ethnicity, skin color, religious affiliation, political opinion, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity and other markers, and maintain professional distance;

• Commitment to Ethics and Professional Standards:

We strictly observe Ethics & Professional Standards derived from our tradition as an independent refugee legal assistance provider and informed by law and professional regulations;

• Independence from administrative & judicial bodies adjudicating migration and asylum cases:

As an independent legal assistance provider, we maintain our respectful independence from administrative & judicial bodies making decisions in applications and other rights claims by asylum seekers & migrants;

• Expertise and evidence-based assessments of problems & recommendations for solutions:

Gaps and needs assessments on law and policy & recommendations for improvement, based on expertise & first-hand monitoring evidence compiled in legal assistance interactions & protection interventions on the field;

• Advocacy grounded in international refugee law and universal rule of law principles:

We firmly base our advocacy efforts on international refugee law, international human rights law and universal principles of rule of law;

• Independence from political parties and other political affiliations:

We maintain our respectful independence from all political parties and other political affiliations, and seek to engage and influence the asylum & migration policy conversation as a whole from a rights-based vantage point;

• Respecful and constructive engagement & communications with all counterparts:

In all interactions with beneficiaries, partners, governmental and international counterparts, we observe a communication style and use language appropriate for respectful and constructive engagement;

• Principled & transparent partnerships and funding relations:

We choose to engage in principled and egalitarian partnerships with other national & international CSO counterparts on the basis of shared goals and mutual respect; We are fully transparent about our partners & donors;

• Diligence and compliance with all legal obligations in financial matters & labor relations:

We ensure a high level of compliance with all transparency, accountability and diligence obligations arising from Turkish law & donor requirements in regards our financial processes & labor relations with our work force;

• A safe work & service environment for all staff and beneficiaries:

We are strongly committed to providing a safe environment for all our staff and beneficiaries; we do not tolerate any behaviour or activities involving disrespect, violence, abuse or other forms of exploitation on the basis of gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, and other markers of personal difference.