Pace head Cavusoglu voices concern over rise of far right in Europe

The Turkish head of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) yesterday expressed concerns over the rise of far-right parties in Europe. Mevlut Cavusoglu said racist parties are on the rise across Europe, a trend that has caused concern to the Council of Europe. The 47-member CoE is working to reverse this trend by promoting intercultural and interfaith dialogue. "I hope that (the cause of) this is limited to the financial crisis in Europe and in the world," he said. "Otherwise it might lead to serious complications and problems." He added that despite this troubling trend, other parties are still acting with common sense and supporting Turkey's accession to the European Union.