Traffic safety in focus of OSCE-supported visit of Turkmen officials to Turkey

ANKARA, 23 May 2014 – Senior traffic safety officials from the Interior Ministry of Turkmenistan discussed traffic enforcement practices during an OSCE-organized study visit to Turkey that concluded in Ankara today. 

The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized the five-day visit to enable participants from Turkmenistan to gain first-hand experience about novel methodologies in the professional training of traffic police officers.

“Human security and traffic safety are closely interlinked and traffic police officers have a demanding challenge to safeguard people’s lives on the roads. With its comprehensive approach to security, the OSCE looks at different aspects of security, including traffic safety“, said Richard Wheeler, Political Officer at the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

“The visit stimulated lively discussions and exchange of experiences between traffic safety police officers from Turkey and Turkmenistan,” he said. “We trust that such exchanges contribute to advancing police enforcement practices in Turkmenistan”.

The delegation from Turkmenistan visited the Directorate of Traffic Services of the Turkish National Police, the Advanced and Defensive Driving Training Center,  Vehicle Inspection Company, and the City Security Management Center in Ankara, as well as the Traffic Police Training Center in Eskisehir.

The Turkmen officers were introduced to the work of traffic safety police in Turkey and discussed with their Turkish counterparts opportunities for in-service trainings, and the role of road safety information and awareness raising campaigns.

As part of the study visit, the Turkmen delegation attended the International Traffic Symposium and Exhibition in Ankara to look at the state-of-the-art traffic safety equipment and observe conference panel discussions on traffic safety.