16 September 2016•Update: 17 September 2016
STRASBOURG, France
Turkey, a founder of the Council of Europe, is one of its key members for tackling the challenges the group faces, Turkish Parliament Speaker Ismail Kahraman said Friday.
His remarks came in an address at the European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments in Strasbourg, France.
Kahraman highlighted the Council of Europe’s growing importance in challenges discussed during the meeting without making concessions to democracy, human rights, or the rule of law.
“Turkey, as one of the founding countries of the Council of Europe, has been among the largest contributors to its budget to boost its operational capacity to overcome challenges,” he said.
About Turkey's contributions, he added, “We continue to help protect and improve our common values, as we have done so far.”
The parliament speaker also said Turkey will host the group’s next conference, in 2018.
The biannual European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments is hosted by one of the member countries and lasts for two days.
Reporting by Omer Aydın : Writing by Ahmet Sait Akcay
