Head Of Turkish Delegation In Pace Says Turkey Is On An Irreversible Path

STRASBOURG - Turkey was on an irreversible path of reforms, Murat Mercan, the head of the Turkish delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy, said on Tuesday.
Speaking in the summer session of PACE, Mercan said that Turkey would continue its reforms determinedly.
Mercan noted that Turkish government had attached great importance to implementation of reforms.
Stating that Turkey would never give up secularism, Mercan said, ''the army was the guarantee of secularism in the past, now, political parties are the guarantee of secularism.''
Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Abdulkadir Ates said that the opposition party had played an important role in making reforms in Turkey, and noted that reforms met expectations of Turkish people.
Majority of European parliamentarians who spoke in the PACE session referred to especially abolition of death penalty, release of four former Democracy Party (DEP) deputies, and radio and television broadcastings in languages other than Turkish and praised reforms of Turkey.
PACE is expected to vote a resolution on ending monitoring of Turkey later in the day.
(BRC-AÖ) 22.06.2004