STRASBOURG - The recent closure case filed against Turkey's ruling party was discussed during a meeting of a leading international organization working for European integration on Monday.
Luis Maria Puig, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), commented on the closure case filed against Turkey's Justice and Development (AK) Party during his opening speech at a PACE meeting in Strasbourg, France.
"Let us hope that our Turkish friends would be able to deal with the current internal problem, namely the application to the Constitutional Court concerning the ruling party, on the basis of the highest standards that we share here at the Council of Europe," Puig said.
He also said Turkey's European vocation and aspirations were essential to the stability and unity of the European continent.
Referring to the recent opening of the Lokmaci Gate in Lefkosa as well, Puig said, "this reopening has given rise to great hopes that this unjustly divided island will at last be a place that all its inhabitants can share".
Founded in 1949, the Council of Europe seeks to develop throughout Europe common and democratic principles based on the European Convention on Human Rights and other reference texts on the protection of individuals.
The Council of Europe has 47 member countries, as well as one applicant country, Belarus and 5 observer countries, the Vatican, the United States, Canada, Japan and Mexico.
PACE is one of the two statutory organs of the Council of Europe. The other one is the Committee of Ministers.
(DO-MS)