Addressing pace, Davutoglu rules out dialogue with terrorists

As the term president of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu yesterday addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and later responded to questions from PACE members in attendance. Asked whether Ankara is considering dialogue with convicted terrorist PKK chief Abdullah Ocalan, Davutoglu categorically rejected this, saying, "Turkey is a democratic country under the rule of law, and establishing dialogue with terrorists poses a significant threat to democratic society." Urging that terrorists be distinguished from other citizens, Davutoglu said, "All of Turkey's citizens have the same rights, and we never engage in dialogue with terrorists. You mustn't confuse different things with each other." In response to a question by an Armenian PACE member, Davutoglu talked about Turkey's efforts over the past year to normalize relations with Armenia. Citing how 20 percent of the territory of Azerbaijan, also a PACE member, is currently under Armenian occupation, Davutoglu said this runs counter to PACE's principles. Davutoglu said resolving the problems between Armenia and Azerbaijan could do much to promote peace and stability in the region. In related news, Mevlut Cavusoglu, who last year was elected PACE's first Turkish president, yesterday won another year in office, in a unanimous vote.