Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 26
By Orkhan Quluzade – Trend:
The PACE decision to restart monitoring of Turkey’s fulfillment of its commitments to the Council of Europe is biased, Suat Onal, a member of Turkish delegation to PACE, MP, told Trend.
Onal said Turkey sees this decision as political, and PACE will understand this mistake eventually.
It is the second time Turkey is placed under monitoring. The country was previously monitored from 1996 to 2004.
“Turkey has recently experienced a military coup attempt, the country is actively fighting terrorism, and at the same time, Turkey is making efforts for the normal functioning of democratic structures after the coup attempt,” Onal said. “In this context, PACE’s decision is incorrect.”
Onal said the growth of racism and Islamophobia in Europe is a threat and contradicts the values of the EU and humanity.
Earlier, the majority of PACE members voted for adoption of a resolution bringing back monitoring on Turkey. Some 113 parliamentarians voted for the resolution, 45 voted against it, and 12 abstained.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the PACE decision, calling it politicized and unfair.