13/09/2010 President
Strasbourg, 13.09.2010 – Mevlüt Çavusoglu, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), made the following statement today:
“I warmly welcome the positive result of the referendum on constitutional change in Turkey – as well as the high turnout, which showed how strongly the Turkish people are attached to their democratic rights and freedoms, and to a future in Europe.
This marks an important new stage in Turkey’s democratic progress, and paves the way for further reforms soon, including a new civilian Constitution. The possibility for a citizen to bring a complaint directly to the Constitutional Court is particularly welcome, as it provides an additional human rights safeguard, and may help to reduce Turkey’s caseload before the European Court of Human Rights.
Sixty-one years after Turkey joined the Council of Europe, and on the eve of its chairmanship of the organisation, Turkey’s attachment to its fundamental values has been made stronger by Sunday’s vote.”