TODAY.AZ / Politics

Azerbaijani MPs criticize PACE's decision on Turkey Azerbai

02 May 2017 [16:52] - TODAY.AZ

By Azernews


By Kamila Aliyeva

Azerbaijani MPs have sharply criticized the recent decision of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Turkey at the plenary session of the parliament held on May 2.

The decision made at the PACE spring session on Turkey's return to the monitoring regime after the post-monitoring period is a typical manifestation of double standards, the head of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE Samad Seyidov said at the plenary session of the Milli Majlis.

Seyidov noted that the PACE spring session that was held this time was significantly different from the previous ones.

“We have been watching processes for a long time and we see that racism and Islamophobia are spreading more and more in Europe. Double standards against Muslim states in Europe can be observed in the policies of specific countries and in the statements of a number of organizations," Seyidov stressed.

MP noted that such a negative attitude began to increase with the growth of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Europe.

"We have observed such trends in PACE for several years already. In general, the attitude towards Azerbaijan and Turkey has always been formed on the basis of completely different positions and approaches. However, the current spring session showed that such a negative attitude reached a peak. An unfair report on Turkey was presented at the PACE meeting," Seyidov said.

Seyidov underlined that the PACE's report on Turkey does not indicate the PKK as a terrorist organization.

"Moreover, the coup attempt last year was not assessed as a terrorist event. The whole delegation of Turkey - representatives of both the authorities and opposition opposed the PACE decision, stating that the PACE decision on the return of Turkey to the monitoring regime after post-monitoring is a step aimed at removing Turkey from Europe. Despite this, the appeal of the Turkish delegation should be taken into consideration at the PACE meeting," Seyidov said.

The MP added that the double standards in Europe revealed themselves even more at this meeting.

"These facts confirm that PACE is in a deep crisis. The reason is that there are destructive, anti-Azerbaijani and anti-Turkish forces there. The existence of double standards poses a great threat not only to us, but also to Europe itself. All this causes great damage to the relations between Azerbaijan and Europe, Europe and the East and, of course, the Turkish-European relations," Seyidov stated.

The speaker of Milli Majlis Ogtay Asadov also called this decision erroneous while addressing the session.

Asadov noted that Turkey is one of the countries which took part in the process of creating the PACE.

Zeynab Khanlarova, in turn, said that all Azerbaijani people are outraged by this decision.

"I propose to express a protest on behalf of the parliament of Azerbaijan," she said adding that "at this moment we should be near Turkey." 

"Turkey completed the monitoring period 13 years ago. However, for the first time in history, PACE returned the country that was in the post-monitoring period to the monitoring state. Our delegation opposed this decision," the speaker added.

Earlier, the PACE voted in favor of restarting its monitoring of Turkey's respect for fundamental freedoms, which concluded in 2004, with 113 of the assembly's lawmakers voting in favor, 45 against and 12 abstained.

Ankara assessed this decision as ‘politically motivated' and 'unjust'.

Some experts are not hiding their pessimism on the turn taken by relations between Turkey and EU. The PACE’s decision may add fuel to deteriorating relations between Ankara and Brussels. The economic ties, the response to terror threat and the response to the flow of migrants and refugees from Syria are currently at the core of the relationship.

They predict that in case of a suspension of political relations, Ankara and Brussels would purely concentrate on trade ties in line with their Customs Union, but this scheme would hardly please the NATO country with a geostrategical importance at the gates of Syria and Iraq.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/160740.html

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