Turkish representative: Azerbaijan is one of indispensable members of PACE

Turkiye's representative in PACE, Zeynep Yildiz, said at the hearings on the ratification of the Azerbaijani delegation's credentials that Azerbaijan is one of the indispensable members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Azernews reports.

"In the context of the multilateralism of this organisation, Azerbaijan's presence here is one of the factors distinguishing this institution from the European Union and other international organisations." said the spokeswoman.

Zeynep Yildiz stressed that the absence of Azerbaijan would not only deprive the organisation of pluralism as a basic philosophy but also the possibility of conflict resolution.

"In previous years, while making speeches here, we all reaffirmed the internationally recognised territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. I would like to ask what has changed since then. We need to decide whether PACE will become a continental organisation like the European Union or will it continue to be a platform based on dialogue, allowing the parties to negotiate? Will it be a closed structure that narrows its space, or will it remember its identity as a global player?" the representative said.

Recall that at the evening meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on January 24, the deputies approved resolution 15898 on the deprivation of the right to vote of the Azerbaijani delegation until the January 2025 session of PACE.

10 were against, 76 deputies voted in favour of the decision, and 4 abstained. During the debate, the absolute majority of speakers called this decision fair and necessary.

Unfortunately, the PACE is being used as a platform to target some member states. The core principles of PACE are exploited by certain biased groups to advance their narrow interests. Political corruption, discrimination, ethnic and religious hatred, double standards, arrogance, and chauvinism have become prevailing practices in the PACE, the Azerbaijani MPs, who left the meeting hall after making the statement, said.