Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-01-18-Speech-4-147"
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"en.20010118.8.4-147"2
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"Mr President, the recent events in Turkish prisons are tragic by any standards and it is an enormous pity that the situation had been allowed to deteriorate over such a long period with the almost inevitable consequences.
However, these events must be put in context and we should acknowledge the resolve of the Turkish authorities to introduce a more human, acceptable, and indeed controllable, prison regime. As relations between the European Union and Turkey develop in an increasingly positive manner, we need to take a measured approach in our comments on Turkey's problems. At the same time our relationship with the Turkish authorities should be sufficiently robust that we can make justifiable criticisms.
I have to say that in the United Kingdom in the past we too have had difficulties in maintaining the right prison regime for those convicted or detained for terrorist offences. We too have had situations where terrorists have more or less had total control over their accommodation and recreation areas and we too have had to deal with the tragedy of hunger strikes. It is not easy. The prisons themselves take on symbolic significance. The situation in the prisons becomes yet another facet of the armed struggle against the established government. We should keep this perspective in mind.
Turning to the resolution itself we rightly deplore recent events but my feeling is that we should be more welcoming and encouraging concerning the reforms initiated by the Turkish Government. After all Turkey is responding to the demands that we placed upon her to bring her prisons more into line with European systems. We should remember that many of the inmates are revolutionaries who will accept nothing short of control of their situation. Of course a prison regime must be humane and there must be mechanisms to enable prisoners to express legitimate grievances. This is in everyone's interests but we cannot expect governments to negotiate with prisoners over their conditions and regimes.
The current problems started because the armed groups were not prepared to concede control over the prisons to the authorities. The response by the security forces is not the cause but the consequence of the problem. The Turkish security forces had to retake the prisons by force facing organised armed opposition and the circumstances of many deaths is not clear while of course every death is a tragedy.
I know that the Turkish authorities are greatly saddened by recent events. They are also thoroughly committed to reform and open to close cooperation with the Commission and with the Union and its Member States on reform of the penal system. They see this as part of the natural process of adopting the
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We should rightly express our concern at what has happened and that the situation was allowed to deteriorate so far. Let us now offer all possible professional advice and assistance and encourage rapid reform without giving further opportunities to undemocratic forces who seek to overthrow the Turkish Government and frustrate Turkey's progress towards membership of the European Union."@en1
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