STRASBOURG - Head of a Turkish delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Mevlut Cavusoglu, said Thursday that his delegation did not make a request from PACE to issue a statement on the party closure case filed against the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.
"I have not made such a request either as the head of the Turkish delegation or as a deputy of the AK Party. Such an initiative came from the President of PACE Luis Maria De Puig," Cavusoglu told the AA.
"I came across Puig at the lobby of an hotel on Sunday night. Puig informed me that the PACE had made a decision to issue a statement on the party closure case faced by the AK Party. Puig further told that they had appointed an official to deal with this issue and that they planned to visit Turkey soon," Cavusoglu said.
"Puig told me that, in order for this visit to take place, there must be an invitation from the Turkish delegation. I have informed Puig that such an invitation could not come from the Turkish delegation at the PACE but rather the speaker of the Turkish parliament," Cavusoglu said.
"On one hand, despite facing a closure case, the AK Party is trying hard to not be in a position to complain Turkey to the Council of Europe. On the other hand, our European counterparts ask our opinions on the case and we inform them on the developments taking place," Cavusoglu also said.
(SOL-MS)