Council of Europe head to visit Turkey

By Rahmi Gunduz

PARIS (AA) - The chief of the Council of Europe arrive in Turkey on Wednesday for meetings with officials and opposition leaders, the council said Sunday.

Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland’s comes after Turkey suspended the European Convention on Human Rights, which is reinforced by the council’s European Court of Human Rights, following the July 15 coup attempt.

Jagland is due to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag as well as party leaders, the council said in a statement.

The suspension of the convention came a day after Turkey declared a state of emergency on July 20. Article 15 allows states to suspend certain rights guaranteed by the convention during a public emergency threatening the nation.