Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-10-06-Speech-3-043"
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"en.19991006.1.3-043"2
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"Mr President, I would like to thank the Parliament very sincerely for a debate which assists both the work of the Commission and the decision which we have to make. Permit me to answer a few of the questions which have been asked.
Firstly, there is no question today or next week or at Helsinki of giving Turkey the prospect of acceding to the European Union. Turkey has had this prospect for decades. The fact that it has been confirmed again and again, most recently in Luxembourg in 1997. Turkey is already part of the process of enlargement of the European Union. Therefore it is indeed I and nobody else, who is responsible for Turkey, including within the Commission. This is indeed part of the enlargement process. What we are talking about today is only a tactical change. In Luxembourg, the decision was taken, to select a different form of approach to the time of negotiations for Turkey as opposed to the other applicants for accession. This Luxembourg decision has not proved to be manageable because Turkey perceives it as discrimination.
If I am asked whether we will ever live to see Turkey as a Member of the European Union, I say I do not know. If I am asked, whether we will get to the stage of negotiations with Turkey concerning accession, I again say I do not know. But we will never find out if we do not now try to start Turkey along the path which will perhaps bring it to a position where, if it wishes, it can enter into accession negotiations with us. Candidate status does not mean that we are negotiating about accession but that we are checking what needs to happen for the Copenhagen criteria to be fulfilled. Everyone here in this House has agreed that we want a democratic Turkey, a Turkey which respects the rights of minorities, a Turkey which protects human rights and a Turkey which makes a contribution to peace and stability in the whole region. All the speakers have wished for this. Perhaps someone could please answer the question how we can move the process forwards other than by discussions with Turkey!
The Helsinki decision that I would like to see would mean that we engage in very serious dialogue with Turkey, engage in the harmonisation of legislation, and tell Turkey specifically what needs to be changed. Only when these changes have taken place, only then will it be possible to discuss negotiations. I guarantee you that no one is going to come here and say, “We want to begin accession negotiations with Turkey now”, if the political Copenhagen criteria have not been absolutely clearly fulfilled. This means that Turkey must already have changed in the direction of democracy and rule of law before we can start accession negotiations. Hopefully that makes it quite clear what the real question is here!
For years, Turkey has been answered in the form of the arguments which I have heard again here today and which I would like to sum up in the phrase “not thus and not now!” Now is the time for truth! This expression “not thus and not now!” can no longer continue in this way! Anyone who does not now recognise that this is the hour of truth and that we must now provide Turkey with a clear and honest answer, may have to face the possibility that none of the things we are asking of Turkey will be attainable. Rather, a quite different development will set in for which responsibility will also have to be taken in any case; that is to say, responsibility will have to be taken for the fact that Turkey will no longer be seeking to join the Community of democratic values in Europe but will be following its own path in a quite different direction. One should then also be prepared to accept the responsibility for this, if one wants this.
A last word on the cultural aspect. I do not dispute that there are cultural differences between Europe, which is overwhelmingly typically Christian, and this part of Europe and Turkey, which is typically Islamic. I do not dispute that. But if you just imagine how the world may develop in times to come, then the answer to cultural difference can surely not be that cultures should shut themselves off from each other, the answer can only be that cultures must open themselves up to each other! Cooperation between Europe and Turkey could be an encouraging and promising example of how cultures living side by side as neighbours can find a joint path towards achieving peace, democracy and rule of law, and also opportunities for prosperity, for their people.
I ask the European Parliament, to offer us the possibility in this spirit to discuss matters credibly with Turkey and to contribute credibly towards achieving changes in Turkey. This involves strictly keeping our commitments, including our financial commitments towards Turkey."@en1
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