The 'Ombudsman' was a creation of the Ottoman Empire

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn : the ombudsman was a creation of the Ottoman Empire.

http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=156165

Excerpt:

Question to Mr. Olli Rehn: In your speech in İstanbul last week, you said the ombudsman was a creation of the Ottoman Empire.

Yes, this is correct. The position was imported by the then Swedish King Charles the XII in the 18th century, in 1713, after he spent some time in Turkey. He recognized this Ottoman institution and imported it to Sweden, where it became one part of the very strong constitutional state and the legal tradition of Sweden. My country was then a part of Sweden so I know it also through this background. After centuries of development, it came to its current state. For instance, the European Union has an ombudsman for affairs related to the European Union. In Turkey, I would see that it could certainly strengthen citizen rights and facilitate better coexistence of different lifestyles in the spirit of democratic secularism.