SPEECH BY MR MEVLÜT ÇAVUŞOĞLU, PRESIDENT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

AT THE MEETING OF THE POLITICAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

(Caserta, 6 September 2011)

Dear Chairman, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to participate today in this exchange of views. The Political Affairs Committee is one of the key Assembly committees. Reports prepared by your Committee are always present - and often in great numbers – on the agendas of our part-sessions and I would not hesitate to say that you are the “Assembly’s champions” of urgent debates! But we know that, with such dedicated members and competent Secretariat, your Committee can handle even the most complex issues and respect even the shortest deadlines! Therefore, I would like to thank you all for your efforts and commitment.

Dear friends,

The Arab Spring is continuing, with renewed energy. The Revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt have inspired the people of Syria and Libya to stand up for the respect of their dignity and fundamental rights and freedoms. The recent capture of the Libyan capital by the rebel forces is very symbolic in this respect: although the fighting is still far from over, the fall of colonel Gadaffi sends a very powerful message that authoritarian rule and violent crackdown on popular protests cannot stop people from defending their fundamental rights.

The situation in Syria is becoming an issue of great concern. A political solution, based on profound democratic reforms, is necessary in order to stop the ongoing human rights violations. In my opinion, your Committee is the right forum for discussing this issue, especially in the light of its consequences and implications for Europe.

The biggest challenge in the region, though, is to make sure that the slogans of freedom, dignity and democracy are translated into concrete actions: the holding of free and fair elections, provision of real guarantees for basic rights and freedoms, establishment of well-functioning democratic institutions and independent judiciary, fight against corruption, support for free media and civil society...

In this context, I am glad to see some positive developments in the region: our new Partner for Democracy - Morocco - is on the right track with democratic reforms: after the July referendum, amendments to the Constitution were approved, with the wide support of the voters, opening the way for the holding of pre-term parliamentary elections scheduled for 25 November 2011. Of course, our Assembly stands ready to observe these elections and to support Morocco in organising them according to our shared democratic standards.

The developments in Morocco prove, once again, that the Partnership for Democracy status is a powerful tool to engage with our neighbours who share our values and subscribe to our standards. At this meeting, your Committee is going to examine Mr Kox’s report on the request submitted by the Palestinian National Council. This request comes as a logical development, as the Assembly has been co-operating with closely Palestinian representatives for a number of years. I hope the Committee will support Mr Kox’s report, so that we can hold a debate on the PNC’s request during the October part-session.

Moreover, during my recent visits to Kazakhstan and Kirghizstan, I actively promoted the Partnership status with our neighbours from Central Asia. And I can tell you that my arguments were positively received. In particular, after my official meetings with the Kirghiz authorities, I welcomed encouraging democratic changes in this country, which is the only country in the region to have chosen a parliamentary system of government. Kirghizstan has also abolished the death penalty and has a real multi-party parliament. We have also been invited to observe the Presidential elections on 30 October.

For my part, I would like to inform you that I wrote a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, inquiring about the possibility of visiting the country with my colleagues from the Presidential Committee, in order to explore possibilities for co-operation. In his reply, the Minister welcomed our proposal but suggested that the visit take place after the elections. I am following this closely and will keep you informed of the developments.

Dear colleagues,

At the same time, we must not forget the challenges we have to face “at home”. I am thinking in particular about the rise of extremism, intolerance, xenophobia, racism, anti-semitism and islamophobia in Europe. This summer’s tragic events in Norway show how fragile our European society can be in the face of new challenges to multiculturalism. As the Assembly has repeatedly stated, the most efficient tool to combat extremism and intolerance is inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue. In the face of these new challenges, I am glad that your Committee continues to focus its attention on this issue, with the preparation of Mr Volonté’s report on Violence against religious communities.

Dear colleagues,

The impact of the Lisbon Treaty on the Council of Europe is a key issue, not only for the Council of Europe, but also for the future of our European continent as a whole. For us, as representatives of the “Wider Europe of 47”, it is essential to make sure that the reform of the European Union’s institutions respect fully the Pan-European standards of democracy, rule of law and human rights. Soon, we will make another huge step towards fulfilling this objective: with the forthcoming accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights, we will be able to build a unique, truly Pan-European system of protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. As you know, negotiations are ongoing and our Assembly is making a valuable contribution to this process by devising, together with our colleagues from the European Parliament, the modalities of participation of the EP in the election of judges to the Court. I am sure that Ms Lundgren’s report will be another concrete contribution to strengthening the co-operation between the Council of Europe and the European Union and I look forward to the debate we are going to hold in October.

Dear friends,

And now, I would like to thank you very much for your attention and wish you a very fruitful and successful meeting. As I am going to stay in your meeting a while longer, I will of course be happy to answer any questions you may have.