Gul receives Cavusoglu, first-ever Turkish president of PACE

President Abdullah Gul yesterday received Mevlut Cavusoglu, the newly elected Turkish president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), at the Cankaya Presidential Palace. In a statement released after the closed-door meeting, the President's Office said, "During the meeting, Cavusoglu … told Gul about his activities and projects at the assembly. Congratulating Cavusoglu on his election to the key post, President Gul said during the meeting that a Turkish deputy's appointment to such a position is a mark of Turkey's rising international prestige and growing international clout thanks to its conciliatory diplomacy across the world in recent years." During the meeting, Gul, who himself once served as a PACE member for a decade, conveyed his experiences and opinions to Cavusoglu. Telling how Turkey is set to assume the presidency of PACE's Council of Ministers this November, the statement said this adds to the importance of Cavusoglu's election as PACE president. Cavusoglu, who is a deputy of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) from the Mediterranean province of Antalya , was elected to the two-year post last week. Cavusoglu has been a member of Strasbourg-based PACE for the past two terms and is known for his active contributions to various committees. Cavusoglu yesterday was also received by Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Sahin. During the meeting, Sahin also underlined the importance of Cavusoglu's election to the key post, saying, "This is a result of Turkey's growing international reputation stemming from the country's proactive, constructive and peaceful diplomacy based on solving problems in recent years." Sahin also pledged to do more to expand and preserve human rights in Turkey. For his part, Cavusolgu said he believes Turkey's democratic and judicial reforms of recent years were decisive in his election. Stressing the need for a new civilian constitution, Cavusoglu said the current Constitution poses the biggest obstacle to further boosting Turkey's democratic standards. "Turkey should serve as a role model and speed up its reform process, especially at a time when PACE is headed by a Turkish president," he added.