Brussels, 12/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 10 November, Turkey took on the six-monthly rotating presidency of the Council of Europe, the day after publication by the European Commission of a mixed report on the state of Turkey's negotiations to join the European Union (see EUROPE 10253). Turkey took over at the helm of the Council of Europe from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and will hand over to Ukraine on 11 May 2011. The 47 Council of Europe member countries rotate the chairing of the body in alphabetical order (using the English version of their country's name). At a press conference in Strasbourg, it was revealed by Council of Europe sources and press agencies that the Turkish foreign minister, Ahmed Davutoglu, has set out Turkey's five priorities: - supporting reform of the Council of Europe as guardian of respect of human rights in Europe by encouraging stronger political commitment from its own member countries; - reforming the Court of Human Rights by trying to improve the quality and coherence of its rulings and their real enforcement; - facilitating the EU's accession to the European Convention of Human Rights; - reinforcing the Council of Europe's monitoring mechanisms; - and supporting the work of the Eminent Persons' Group headed by the former German foreign minister, Joschka Fischer, that is currently investigating the cause of rising intolerance and discrimination in Europe (the group was set up on the initiative of Turkey). Turkey joined the Council of Europe upon its creation in 1949 and this is the seventh time it has chaired the Committee of Ministers, the Council of Europe's executive body. Ankara has ratified 98 of the Council of Europe's 200 conventions, including the Convention of Human Rights in 1954, and 38 others are awaiting ratification. Turkey has, however, been taken to the Court of Human Rights thousands of times. The Council of Europe's “parliament”, the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), is currently chaired by a Turk, Mevlüt Çavusoglu. (Gp/transl.fl)