A high-level delegation from the OSCE PA led by President Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) and comprising Vice-President Azay Guliyev (Azerbaijan) and Vice-President Reinhold Lopatka (Austria) completed on 13 November an official visit to Turkey.
In Ankara the PA delegation met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Speaker Mustafa Şentop, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül, Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim Kıran, and the Delegation of Turkey to the OSCE PA led by Selami Altınok.
Discussions with major political parties represented in the Grand National Assembly offered an opportunity to assess their role in Turkey’s new system of government, and to raise concerns over the criminalization of political speech and limits to parliamentary immunity.
Discussions focused on the crucial role played by Turkey in addressing major OSCE challenges, and included calls for greater international co-operation and solidarity to manage refugee flows, effectively prevent terrorism and violent extremism, and advance comprehensive security. Conversations with Turkish interlocutors also touched on concerns over racism and intolerance in the OSCE region, which were addressed in a resolution adopted during the OSCE PA’s 2021 Remote Session.
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“Considering its challenging geographic environment, including its proximity to conflict zones and to migration routes, Turkey is an essential partner to preserve stability in the OSCE region,” said President Cederfelt.
Meetings with UNHCR Representative Philippe Leclerc and Turkish Red Crescent President Kerem Kınık further highlighted the extent of Turkey’s support to the largest refugee community in the world. In the context of the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), the PA delegation also noted the entry into effect of the Paris Climate Agreement in Turkey on 10 November.
In Istanbul, the delegation had the opportunity to exchange with civil society representatives on the state of democratic and media freedoms, as well as their ability to operate in Turkey. The PA leadership also met with the Secretary-General of PABSEC, Asaf Hajiyev, to explore avenues of co-operation between the two organizations.