Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-04-11-Speech-2-242"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20000411.9.2-242"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to hear that both the President-in-Office and the Commissioner have taken stock of the first four months and have come to the conclusion that the climate surrounding relations between the Union and Turkey and the potential for discussion have improved. We MEPs are particularly pleased because most of us – and this cut across all Groups in the House – expressed our scepticism as to whether the Helsinki resolution was the right resolution at the time.
The European Council in Helsinki did what it was entitled to do and passed a resolution which, when it was passed in Helsinki, incorporated certain expectations of the Turkish side and here the European Parliament is in agreement with the European Council. Commissioner Verheugen has just recapitulated these expectations. He has spoken of democracy, the rule of law and the protection of minorities as three basic elements in the expectations which the European Union, the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament have of Turkey and which they have formulated.
Four months after Helsinki, Commissioner, I can say on behalf of the Group of the Party of European Socialists that we fully subscribe to your view that the climate surrounding relations has improved but no progress has been made on the three points which you listed. It is difficult to discern any further democratic developments during these first four months. Even progress with the protection of minorities leaves much to be desired and we are somewhat sceptical about the question of the rule of law.
You mentioned the example of Akin Birdal and Turkey must look at this example and ask itself how it intends to make us believe that progress is being made in the areas referred to when incidents occur within the country which, in my opinion, are typified by the example of Mr Birdal. Mr Birdal advocates peace. Mr Birdal advocates solving the problem of minorities without violence. Mr Birdal’s reputation as a human rights activist extends well beyond the borders of Turkey.
The way in which the Turkish Government has dealt with Mr Birdal, the way in which the Turkish judicial system has dealt with this man seems to be typical of the manner in which Turkey proposes to deal with people who stand for exactly what the European Union is demanding of Turkey. If politics contains symbolic messages then, in my opinion, the Turkish judicial system has committed a serious error four months on from Helsinki in treating Mr Birdal this way.
We in the European Parliament expect far greater efforts than those made so far and we are assuming that what we are saying in this debate here will not go unheeded."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples