Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-10-06-Speech-3-009"
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"en.19991006.1.3-009"2
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"(DE) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the Commission is extremely pleased to see that the European Parliament, so soon after the start of its work, is having a full debate on the subject of Turkey, since this is in fact one of the most important political and strategic matters which we have to settle in Europe at the present time. Today’s discussions are taking place at a time when relations between the European Union and Turkey have the opportunity to pursue a new course: exactly two months before the European Council meeting in Helsinki, which is expected to make important decisions with regard to the enlargement process as a whole and with regard to Turkey in particular.
As you know, Turkey has decided in favour of Europe and is ready to undertake its obligations under the Treaty of Amsterdam. I therefore think that, at its forthcoming meeting in Helsinki, the European Council should clarify what place Turkey can assume in the structure of Europe. I would like to inform you as early as today that next week I shall be proposing that the Commission issues a recommendation for the Helsinki Summit to the effect that Turkey should also be treated as a candidate for accession on the same basis as all the others. This means that Turkey must undertake the obligations of the Copenhagen and Madrid criteria. Turkey still has a great deal of work to do, and considerable progress in the political and the economic field is still needed. Still, in view of the enormous strategic importance of Turkey for the future of Europe, for long-term security, stability and peace in Europe it would be a grave mistake to deny Turkey entry into the enlargement process on equal terms.
The time leading up to the Helsinki Summit must be used by Turkey and by us to agree jointly upon a timetable for Turkey. There was already some discussion of this timetable in the exchange of letters between Chancellor Schröder and Prime Minister Ecevit prior to the Cologne Summit. This would concern specific measures in the areas covered by the Copenhagen criteria in order to assist Turkey in the fulfilment of these criteria in the medium or long term. Appropriate initiatives by Turkey in the run-up to the Helsinki Summit would doubtless increase the chances of success of this European Council meeting.
I am convinced that this Parliament will play an essential role in the forthcoming debate, particularly when, following the decision at Helsinki to grant Turkey candidate status, the comprehensive process of alignment of legislation, of screening begins. I would like to clarify one thing at this stage in order to prevent misunderstandings. We are not now discussing initiating accession negotiations with Turkey, instead we are discussing taking the very first step. The very first step involves granting Turkey candidate status so that the process may be initiated and so that we have the opportunity to be able to speak on the subject of starting negotiations in the foreseeable future.
The representative of the Presidency has just given a political analysis of the current situation, which the Commission can fully endorse. I would like to add the following thoughts, from the viewpoint of the Commission. Since the European Council meeting in Luxembourg in December 1997, relations between the European Union and Turkey have deteriorated, for obvious reasons. As you know, Turkey did not see the European Council confirmation that it should be considered for accession as sufficient.
Shortly after the European Council of December 1997, the Commission discharged the “European Strategy” on Turkey’s preparation for accession in all relevant areas. This European Strategy was drawn up as a specific, customised introductory strategy with the goal of expanding and deepening the existing Customs Union. The Commission proposals were approved politically at the Summit meeting in Cardiff in June 1998. Since Cardiff, several meetings on the implementation of specific aspects of this strategy have taken place, but thus far, the lack of appropriate funding has prevented substantial progress, although I must point out that the overall picture is not so black as it is sometimes painted.
The Customs Union was improved in some areas, and the exploratory talks regarding a possible free trade agreement in the service sector have made good progress. The Commission experts visited Turkey in order to improve our general knowledge of Turkish legislation in all the areas concerned. Concerning financing, I wish to point out that by the end of this year, Turkey will receive a share of EUR 375 million from the MEDA I financing programme. We must in any case make further efforts to fulfil our arrangements with Turkey. The Commission would like to encourage the European Parliament as soon as possible to issue its position on the draft regulations, with which the European Strategy should be supported.
Without this financial support, we are in danger of losing the credibility of the European Strategy. Credibility is urgently needed in order to convince the Turkish side that they have to make an active contribution to the implementation of this strategy. If we really want to help Turkey in the preparations for accession, as the European Council in Luxembourg wanted it with the European Strategy, then we must also show that we ourselves will make a significant contribution to the achievement of this goal. The European Parliament clearly has a key role in this process.
At this point, I would like to express my satisfaction at the fact that the Commission reacted so promptly following the devastating earthquake which shook Turkey on 17 August. The decision to make EUR 30 million in emergency aid available for reconstruction was possibly thanks to the speedy reaction of the budgetary authority. In future, the European Investment Bank will grant medium-term loans of up to EUR 600 million for reconstruction, and also macro-financial aid of up to EUR 200 million, in order to support the current reforms in close agreement with the International Monetary Fund.
But we should look to the future. As has already been mentioned, the European Council in Helsinki will once again deal with the question of the European Union’s relations with Turkey. In this respect, I would like to make it absolutely clear that all accession candidates are assessed according to the Copenhagen criteria, and are all treated equally in this assessment. Turkey does not fulfil the political part of these criteria. In addition, there are deficiencies in terms of democracy, rule of law, human rights and minority rights. However, the question is how we can ensure that the necessary reforms are initiated in Turkey and that Turkey is resolutely and irreversibly on the way to becoming an established member of the family of European democracies. I am firmly convinced that this process in Turkey will only get underway and can only be successful if Turkey has the green light to enter Europe.
Recently Turkey has made some progress, though by no means enough, in the field of democratisation and human rights, and I can point out that this will also be made clear in the next progress report on Turkey. Next week, in exactly one week’s time, this progress report will already have been discussed and decided by the Commission. This report will indicate, among other things, that in June of this year, the system of special courts was changed and the military judge eliminated from the Turkish national security court. It will point out that a number of important legislative and administrative measures have been carried out in order to prevent the abuse of human rights by public servants. We expect Turkey to go one important step further and finally abolish capital punishment.
I would also like to stress that the rapprochement between Greece and Turkey which had been achieved shortly before the earthquake in various matters of mutual interest is an encouraging sign for the future. I sincerely hope that the trust achieved between both these countries by means of détente will give them the possibility of addressing the difficult issues of security in the region in the same spirit as in previous discussions."@en1
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