No: 112, 17 May 2016

H.E.Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, will participate in the 126th Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to be held in Sofia on 18 May 2016.

The Session will be convened under the main theme of “Democratic security for all in Europe in challenging times”. It will address current challenges facing Europe such as mass migration waves, fight against terrorism and rising extremism, intolerance, xenophobia and discrimination in Europe.

The particular date of the Session, May 18th, has also a special significance for Turkey. 62 years ago, on 18 May 1954, Turkey became party to the European Convention on Human Rights constituting the main pillar of the convention system of the Council of Europe, which forms the basis of European common legal space.

As a founding member of the Council of Europe, which is the most inclusive pan-European platform, Turkey consistently and resolutely maintains its constructive cooperation based on mutual trust with human rights mechanisms, in particular with the Council of Europe and its organs.