Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-11-14-Speech-2-149"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20001114.5.2-149"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, as several Members of this Parliament have pointed out today, the path to Turkey’s accession to the European Union will be long and hard.
A number of speakers have expressed their concerns regarding the human rights situation and the treatment of minorities, particularly the Kurdish question, the heavy involvement of the military in political life, the legal system and capital punishment, all of which are very serious issues. We can but share these concerns, which were duly expressed by the Commission in its last annual report.
At the same time, however, I feel we must not paint the situation blacker than it actually is. Progress has been made and encouraging signs can be seen. The Turkish Government has announced a whole raft of reforms. President Sezer has made a personal commitment to the process of modernisation in his country. I therefore think we must encourage the Turkish authorities to forge ahead in order to achieve the necessary compliance with the Copenhagen political criteria. At the same time, we must continue to be vigilant with regard to the actual implementation of the measures that have been announced. This, it seems to me, is precisely the balance advocated by Mr Morillon’s report.
The strategy adopted in Helsinki last December marked a turning point in relations between the European Union and Turkey. It is within this balanced framework that we shall have to resolutely continue our work to promote rapprochement between the European Union and Turkey.
So, in conclusion, let me say: let us be demanding, let us be vigilant, let us set our terms but, let us not be excessive in our demands, as we too must live up to our commitments and the European Union made an important decision in Helsinki."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples