New PACE head says Turkey needs civilian constitution

Speaking to reporters at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, PACE's recently elected president Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Council of Europe (COE) attached great importance to the improvement of civil authority and considered it as one of the basic elements of democracy.

"Above all things, Turkey needs a new and civilian constitution. This should be done. We are supporting Turkey's efforts aiming at the improvement of civil authority," Cavusoglu said.

Upon a question on the 10 percent electoral threshold in Turkey, Cavusoglu said several COE reports indicated that Turkey had the highest threshold.

"We may consider it a high threshold, however, it is not a violation of human rights. Each country has its own decision on such matter," he said.

Cavusoglu said that he believed every segment of the Turkish society should be represented in the parliament.

"Consequently, the goal is to reflect the view of every voter in the parliament. We are supporting this idea," he said.

Meanwhile, Turkey's president received Cavusoglu on Monday.

The closed-door meeting between Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Cavusoglu was held at Cankaya Presidential Palace.

Releasing a statement following the gathering, office of the Turkish president said that Cavusoglu, who is the first Turkish parliamentarian elected as the assembly's president, informed Gul about his activities and projects during the meeting.

Moreover, President Gul said during the talks that a Turkish deputy's appointment to such post was an indicator of Turkey's international prestige and conciliatory diplomacy.

Mevlut Cavusoglu, who is a deputy of the Justice and Development (AK) Party from the southern province of Antalya, was elected PACE's new president last week.

Cavusoglu has been a member of the PACE for the past two terms and is known for his active contributions to various committees.

He will be in office for two years.

/World Bulletin/