Council of Europe head praises Turkey's global role

Turkey has made significant contributions to the Council of Europe and is now playing an increasingly crucial role on the international stage, according to the body’s secretary-general.

“Turkey is playing a bigger and bigger role outside Europe. I appreciate very much the role Turkey has taken in the Middle East and the Caucasus,” Thorbjørn Jagland said during a Monday speech at Bilkent University in Ankara.

The council was established due to collective security worries in 1949. Two hundred conventions drafted by the body have been implemented to protect the rule of law and human rights in all 47 member states.

Jagland said collective security applies to human security and that a stronger, united and peaceful Europe is the council’s main goal. “We can solve problems through words, not weapons,” he said.

“The enlargement of the European Union could not be possible without the standards set by the Council of Europe. You cannot be a member of the EU if you don’t comply with European conventions,” he added.

Jagland also confirmed his support for Turkey’s accession to EU. “I’m always in favor. I hope it will take place,” he said. “Adopting EU standards is not a concession. You are part of Europe and are responsible for complying with them.”

The secretary-general described the election two weeks ago of Turkish parliamentarian Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu to the presidency of the council’s parliamentary assembly as a “historic event.”

“It proved that Turkey belongs to Europe and wants to play an important role in Europe,” Jagland said. “It is possible for Turkish politicians to get to the highest positions in Europe.”

Unless the Middle East adopts the rule of law and human rights, it is impossible to tackle extremism and other rights violations, he said, adding that it is necessary to focus on this part of the world.

“This is the only way to combat terrorism and Turkey is so important in this respect,” Jagland said. “Turkey is an example of how Islam and democracy can be reconciled. Turkey is on its way to the highest standards.”

All nations in Europe have human-rights problems on different levels, the secretary-general said, highlighting the sporadic riots in Paris that stem from unemployment, racism and immigration problems.

DTP ban

After Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, or DTP, was closed down in December due to its links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, some members of the disbanded party later announced their intention to apply to the European Court of Human Rights.

Jagland criticized the Constitutional Court’s decision, saying: “Individuals are responsible for actions, not political parties. Individuals exercise violence. The Constitutional Court should be used to prosecute individuals, not parties.”

The secretary-general met political leaders, civil-society representatives and academics during his three-day visit. He was set to have talks with President Abdullah Gül, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Çavuşoğlu and members of the Turkish delegation to the council assembly.