Gul seeks council of Europe help to fight Xenophobia

A reform program designed to enhance the 47-nation Council of Europe's (CoE) role in the European political architecture was discussed by CoE Secretary-General Thorbjorn Jagland and President Abdullah Gul in Istanbul on Sunday. Jagland is in Turkey for a three-day visit at the invitation of Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu through Tuesday. Speaking with Jagland, Gul stressed the importance of the CoE's role in fighting negative mindsets such as discrimination, intolerance and xenophobia, which he said have been on the rise recently. Mentioning the UN-led Alliance of Civilizations initiative, co-sponsored by Turkey and Spain, Gul said the CoE should also help to develop understanding and dialogue among different civilizations. Jagland's visit to Turkey comes close on the heels of the election of Turkish Deputy Mevlut Cavusoglu as president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and months before Turkey takes the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, the pan-European organization's decision-making body, in November. While in Turkey, in addition to Gul, Jagland is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin, Foreign Minister Davutoglu, and PACE President Cavusoglu.