No: 194, 23 August 2016

H.E. Marina Kaljurand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, will pay a visit to Turkey on 24 August, 2016 as Chair of the Committee of Ministers of Council of Europe (CE) in order to demonsrate solidarity after the failed terrorist coup attempt perpetrated in Turkey and to exchange information with Turkish authorities.

H.E. Marina Kaljurand will be received by President H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey H.E. İsmail Kahraman, and Prime Minister H.E. Binali Yıldırım and hold bilateral talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey H.E. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Minister of Justice H.E. Bekir Bozdağ. The Guest Minister will also pay a visit to the Turkish Parliament building, which was bombed during the coup attempt.

Turkey’s high-level political contacts and technical cooperation with the Council of Europe (CE), of which Turkey is a founding member, continues intensively even after the terrorist coup attempt which targeted the democracy and constitutional order in Turkey and the fundamental rights and freedoms of Turkish citizens. Following the visit of H.E. Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the visit of H.E. Marina Kaljurand, Chair of the Committee of Ministers of Council of Europe, will contribute to further strengthening of our constructive dialogue and close cooperation with the CE.

During the meetings, in addition to July 15 coup attempt and developments in the aftermath, Turkey’s agenda of ongoing cooperation with the Council of Europe and regional and international issues will also be discussed.