International

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has voted to reopen a monitoring procedure against Turkey after the April 16 referendum on constitutional reform.
    
     Earlier, the co-rapporteurs of the monitoring committee have recommended that the assembly “re-open the monitoring procedure in respect of Turkey until its concerns are addressed in a satisfactory manner.”
    
     The assembly gathered Tuesday in France's Strasbourg in a session to discuss a report, titled "The functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey,” APA’s European bureau reported.
    
     During the in-depth discussion, some members of the Assembly proposed additions and amendments for the report, but none of them were approved. Hence, the provision on re-opening the monitoring procedure in respect to Turkey remained.
    
     The report was adopted with 113 votes in favor and 45 against.
    
     It should be noted that Turkey was excluded from the monitoring procedure 13 years ago and entered the post-monitoring phase. Turkey has now become the first country in respect of which the monitoring procedure was re-opened.