Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu criticises European Parliament, PACE’s treatment of Georgia

Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, the head of the Turkish delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and the former Turkish Foreign Minister, on Friday criticised the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for not treating Georgia appropriately, calling on them to respect the free choice of the Georgian people.

Speaking to Georgian journalists on the sidelines of the ongoing Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Çavuşoğlu emphasised the strong political and economic ties between Turkey and Georgia, noting long-standing mutual support in international platforms.

“We have excellent bilateral relations, we are connected by very good political and economic cooperation. We have supported Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations from the very beginning, and in international organisations, Georgia and Turkey support each other's resolutions and candidacies on various platforms. This is what I am currently working on as head of the Turkish delegation at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly”, Çavuşoğlu said.

Çavuşoğlu further expressed concern over the attitude of European institutions towards Georgia.

“Unfortunately, the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe are not treating Georgia appropriately. I urge them to respect the free choice of the Georgian people”, he concluded.