Rapporteur of pace to visit Turkey

Josette Durrieu, rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for post-monitoring dialogue with Turkey, will undertake a fact-finding visit to Ankara and Istanbul from June 18 to 21. According to the Council of Europe website Durrieu is scheduled to meet with President Abdullah Gul and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as well as ministers of Justice, and Family and Social Policies during her stay. She will also meet Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Cicek, the Chair of the Conciliation Committee in charge of constitutional reform, the Turkish delegation to PACE and representatives of political parties, the judiciary, the international community, civil society and the media. Durrieu will also visit Silivri prison to meet with three parliamentarians, the former head of the armed services, journalists and academics whom are currently being held in custody. She is expected to hold a press conference on June 21 in the Grand Rixos hotel Ankara.