Council of Europe

Developments are vindicating once again the claim that relations with Turkey have always been a function of necessity, rather than love on the part of Europe. Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Nicolas Sarkozy made it amply clear at the time what they think about "Turkey in Europe." 

A European human rights body has criticized Turkey for imposing days-long curfews in towns in southeast Turkey as its security forces battle outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants, calling on the country to uphold human rights even as it battles the PKK.

Bulgaria will focus on media independence and protection of vulnerable groups during its six-month term as Chair of the Council of Europe, Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov said on Friday.

The Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) of the Council of Europe published on Thursday the report on its most recent visit to Bulgaria.

The visit, which took place between February 13 and 20, was an opportunity for CPT to assess the progress in the implementation of its long-standing recommendations.

Bulgaria assumed on Tuesday the rotating Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This occurred at a meeting attended by representatives of the organisation's 47 member states at the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg.

Sevil Erku?sevil.erkus@hurriyet.com.trThe Justice and Development Party (AKP) was successful at turning the mistakes of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to its advantage in the recent elections, according to the head of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe's (PACE) election monitoring delegation.

Albania is preparing to change its constitution in December as part of an ambitious effort to reform the judicial system, widely considered as the most corrupt field in the country.

However, the main parties still have not agreed a common draft, jeopardizing the chances of success in passing the amendments in parliament.

The European Union and Council of Europe have both underlined the high voter turnout during the Nov. 1 snap elections in statements issued a day after the polls, while expressing a desire to advance cooperation with Turkey on a number of issues.

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Mui?nieks has expressed concern about recent negative developments affecting the right to freedom of expression in Turkey, citing the recent ban on reporting about the investigation into the Oct. 10 suicide bombing in Ankara. 

Bulgaria looks at the forthcoming presidency of the Council of Europe as an opportunity to contribute to security in Europe, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said at a meeting with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland in Sofia on Monday.