On the Occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the Council of Europe and the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Ankara, the CoE Programme Office in Ankara organised a reception on 27 May 2024.
It was opened by the speeches of Mr Claus NEUKIRCH, Director of Programme Co-ordination of the Council of Europe, Ambassador Mehmet Kemal BOZAY, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of European Union, and Mr Kadir ÖZKAYA, President of the Constitutional Court.
Opening the event, Mr NEUKIRCH, Director of Programme Co-ordination of the Council of Europe underlined the widening cooperation scope of the Council of Europe Programme Office in the fields of human rights, rule of law and democracy, to support the Turkish authorities in close dialogue and partnership, and extended his thanks to the Turkish authorities, the European Union and all partners for this fruitful and sustained co-operation over the last 20 years.
Ambassador Mehmet Kemal BOZAY, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of European Union, highlighted Türkiye’s commitment to the fundamental principles enshrined in the Council of Europe's founding documents and noted that the presence of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Ankara symbolises the depth of Türkiye’s commitment to dialogue and collaboration as well as the importance it attaches to the current partnership.
Lastly, Mr ÖZKAYA, President of the Constitutional Court emphasized the good co-operation that the Constitutional Court maintains with the Council of Europe through key projects, including on the effective enforcement of the judgments of the Constitutional Court. He added that these projects significantly contribute to the protection of human rights in Türkiye.
The reception brought together the key partners of the Council of Europe in Türkiye, to celebrate the 20 years of fruitful cooperation, also as a sign of ownership and commitment to the projects and their achievements for today and in the future.
