STRASBOURG (CIHAN) - The European Council parliamentary assembly is set to vote today to remove Turkey from the EU human rights inspection list.
A report recommending that parliament lift inspection requirements on Turkey was approved by the parliamentary groups of the political parties and is expected to be accepted by the European Council parliamentary assembly.
Turkey is expected to be removed from the European Council Parliamentary Assembly inspection list now that it has released the ex-MPs of the pro-Kurdish DEP and the implemented Kurdish-language broadcasting programs.
The Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Walter Schwimmer, during his Turkey visit, had said that the release of the ex-deputies of the now defunct DEP will make positive contribution to removing Turkey from the EC human rights inspection list.
The European Council parliamentary assembly, which was closely following the Leyla Zana case, had postponed voting on its Turkey report in order to await the Turkish Supreme Court decision. Turkey is expecting to be removed which would signal that it has fulfilled the criteria for EU membership.
The report on Turkey praised the Turkey's progress on human rights and democracy in recent three years.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch Organization said in a statement last week that Turkey has made significant progress in recent months in enhancing human rights and in the implementation of reforms for the protection of human rights.
The Council of Europe's Anti-Torture Committee said in its recent report on Turkey that there is no excessive torture in Turkey.
EU leaders are due to meet in December to decide whether Turkey, a candidate country since 1999, has made enough progress on human rights and political freedoms for the initiation of the long-delayed accession talks with the EU.