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news.az, Azerbaijan
Nov 11 2010
Turkey takes reins at Council of Europe
Thu 11 November 2010 06:01 GMT | 8:1 Local Time
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Ahmet Davutoglu Turkey is to maintain focus on unresolved conflicts
during its six-month tenure as chairman of the Council of Europe.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu formally took over as chairman of the
Council of Europe from Macedonia on Wednesday.
Asked by journalists after the handover ceremony what Turkey could do
on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Davutoglu said: "As the current
chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, we
will keep so-called 'frozen conflicts' in the spotlight. Of course,
the policies and work of the Council of Europe will be extended to
these conflicts."
He expressed hope that the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict could be
resolved peacefully on the basis of mutual respect, Trend reported.
Davutoglu said that Turkey had set five priorities to make the
61-year-old Council of Europe more visible and more active, Hurriyet
Daily News reported.
"Turkey's chairmanship will make every effort to put the Council of
Europe back on the international scene as an innovative, more flexible
and feasible organization so that it can adapt itself to the changing
political landscape," he told the ceremony.
Among Turkey's priorities are: continuing reforms at the council;
actively contributing to reforming the European Court of Human Rights
to reduce its burden; assisting in a report to the Committee of
Ministers next May in Istanbul that will recommend ways to fight
growing discrimination, racism and Islamophobia; empowering
independent inspection institutions and facilitating an adequate
environment for the completion of ongoing negotiations between the EU
and the council for the former's decision to join the European
Convention on Human Rights, one of the most fundamental documents of
the Strasbourg-based council.
"We are aware this is an ambitious program for the chairmanship,'
Davutoglu said. `At a time when the Council of Europe is at a
crossroads, we did not have another option."
Turkey last chaired the council in 1992. The passing of the torch to
Turkey occurs as another Turk, Mevlut Cavusoglu, serves as head of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, placing two prominent
Turkish politicians at the top of one of the oldest international
organizations working for European integration, Hurriyet Daily News
noted.
`The lack of harmony between the PACE and the Committee of Ministers
is no secret in Strasbourg,' an anonymous senior Council of Europe
official told a group of Turkish journalists on Tuesday. He said two
Turks administering the institutions could help push the bodies toward
better cooperation. `But Turkey's influence will be limited because
the problem is much more structural.'
`We are going to work together with Foreign Minister Davutoglu,'
Cavusoglu told a group of visiting journalists on Wednesday. `But I'm
more content with how both the Committee of Ministers' and PACE's
priorities overlap.'
Cavusoglu and Davutoglu will together attend the Steering Committee
meetings on Thursday in Antalya, where the Turkish foreign minister
will inform PACE members on Turkey's priorities.
During Turkey's chairmanship the most important event will take place
in Istanbul on 11 May, when the ministers of the council's 47 member
countries will meet. Another important meeting will take place in
Izmir in April when the European court's reform process will be
discussed in detail. Another important meeting will take place in late
November, with the participation of justice ministers from member
countries.
News.Az
From: A. Papazian
Nov 11 2010
Turkey takes reins at Council of Europe
Thu 11 November 2010 06:01 GMT | 8:1 Local Time
Text size:
Ahmet Davutoglu Turkey is to maintain focus on unresolved conflicts
during its six-month tenure as chairman of the Council of Europe.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu formally took over as chairman of the
Council of Europe from Macedonia on Wednesday.
Asked by journalists after the handover ceremony what Turkey could do
on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Davutoglu said: "As the current
chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, we
will keep so-called 'frozen conflicts' in the spotlight. Of course,
the policies and work of the Council of Europe will be extended to
these conflicts."
He expressed hope that the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict could be
resolved peacefully on the basis of mutual respect, Trend reported.
Davutoglu said that Turkey had set five priorities to make the
61-year-old Council of Europe more visible and more active, Hurriyet
Daily News reported.
"Turkey's chairmanship will make every effort to put the Council of
Europe back on the international scene as an innovative, more flexible
and feasible organization so that it can adapt itself to the changing
political landscape," he told the ceremony.
Among Turkey's priorities are: continuing reforms at the council;
actively contributing to reforming the European Court of Human Rights
to reduce its burden; assisting in a report to the Committee of
Ministers next May in Istanbul that will recommend ways to fight
growing discrimination, racism and Islamophobia; empowering
independent inspection institutions and facilitating an adequate
environment for the completion of ongoing negotiations between the EU
and the council for the former's decision to join the European
Convention on Human Rights, one of the most fundamental documents of
the Strasbourg-based council.
"We are aware this is an ambitious program for the chairmanship,'
Davutoglu said. `At a time when the Council of Europe is at a
crossroads, we did not have another option."
Turkey last chaired the council in 1992. The passing of the torch to
Turkey occurs as another Turk, Mevlut Cavusoglu, serves as head of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, placing two prominent
Turkish politicians at the top of one of the oldest international
organizations working for European integration, Hurriyet Daily News
noted.
`The lack of harmony between the PACE and the Committee of Ministers
is no secret in Strasbourg,' an anonymous senior Council of Europe
official told a group of Turkish journalists on Tuesday. He said two
Turks administering the institutions could help push the bodies toward
better cooperation. `But Turkey's influence will be limited because
the problem is much more structural.'
`We are going to work together with Foreign Minister Davutoglu,'
Cavusoglu told a group of visiting journalists on Wednesday. `But I'm
more content with how both the Committee of Ministers' and PACE's
priorities overlap.'
Cavusoglu and Davutoglu will together attend the Steering Committee
meetings on Thursday in Antalya, where the Turkish foreign minister
will inform PACE members on Turkey's priorities.
During Turkey's chairmanship the most important event will take place
in Istanbul on 11 May, when the ministers of the council's 47 member
countries will meet. Another important meeting will take place in
Izmir in April when the European court's reform process will be
discussed in detail. Another important meeting will take place in late
November, with the participation of justice ministers from member
countries.
News.Az
From: A. Papazian