Marianne Mikko (Estonia, SOC) and Nigel Evans (United Kingdom, EC), co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), will be making a fact-finding visit to Turkey March 28-30 to assess the honoring of the country’s obligations and commitments to the Council of Europe.
According to a statement released by PACE, during their visit they will assess the implementation of the latest PACE resolution on the functioning of democratic institutions. Discussions will also focus on recent developments following a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, in particular with regard to the rule of law and freedom of expression and the media.
Meetings are scheduled on March 28 with representatives of the media and NGOs as well as with academics.
On March 29 and 30 official meetings are to be held in Ankara with the speaker of parliament, the undersecretary of the minister for EU affairs, representatives of the ministries of justice and internal affairs, the Turkish delegation to PACE, chairs of parliamentary committees, members of the political groups represented in Parliament and the president of the parliamentary investigation commission on the state of emergency as well as representatives of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, NGOs, media, civil society and the international community.