Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-10-06-Speech-3-013"
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"en.19991006.1.3-013"2
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"Madam President, in his speech at the formal opening of the new legal year in Turkey on 6 September, the Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal, Sami Selçuk, strongly denounced the country’s constitution. With the words, “Turkey is a country with a constitution but it is not a constitutional state,” he condemned the Turkish constitution. The constitution apparently protected the rights of the state at the expense of the freedom of the citizens. “We need more democracy and more citizens who are allowed freedom of thought without being restricted by the laws of the land,” said the judge. He spoke in favour of widespread democratic reform and also fundamental restructuring of the political system. He is right. His demands are identical to our expectations. I am even convinced that the majority in this House is also in favour of a democratic Turkey, in which human rights and minority rights are respected. It is my conviction, too, that we are bound to support democratic circles and their modest successes not just on moral grounds but also because a democratic Turkey, which can solve its own problems within Turkey, will be advantageous for the internal security of the European Union.
By means of our policy we could make a contribution towards ensuring that the proponents of a European democracy in Turkey may be successful and that the hawks who are against Europe may be the losers. In other words, at the present time, we need a policy which assists Turkey whilst maintaining a critical attitude and a policy which induces it to settle obvious issues such as the Kurdish question, the Cyprus issue or the human rights problems speedily and humanely. This cannot be the policy of the exclusion or the isolation of Turkey! Therefore, whatever the timetable or the exact procedure, in Helsinki a sign must be given towards the people of Turkish and Kurdish origin and towards democracy in Turkey.
I cannot as yet say anything for sure on behalf of my group on the integration of Turkey, because we are still having discussions, but for me personally, it means as Mr Verheugen has already said, that it has candidate status for accession to the European Union. Its integration is urgently necessary, not just for the democratisation of Turkey, but also for peace and stability in the Balkans and in South-Eastern Europe. The Greek Foreign Minister Papandreou yesterday said at the University of Istanbul, “We want Turkey in the European Union right now!” Nothing further need be said! I think he made it perfectly clear!"@en1
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