Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-10-24-Speech-3-226"
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"en.20011024.9.3-226"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the Commission welcomes the broad agreement in this debate on Turkey's progress. I hope that we can use this common ground when assessing the work in store for us.
A solution to the Cyprus question will benefit future relations between the European Union and Turkey enormously. Relations between Greece and Turkey have already improved considerably. The Commission welcomes the confidence-building measures agreed. I congratulate the two foreign secretaries, Ismail Cem and Georgios Papandreos on their initiative and their success. Both foreign secretaries did a great deal to foster a climate conducive to further progress in the region.
As far as outstanding problems with European security and defence policy are concerned, I called on Turkey, just a few days ago, to help achieve a constructive solution as quickly as possible. In all events, this problem should be resolved before the meeting of the European Council in Laeken in December this year.
A little extra effort and it should be possible, and I am convinced that it is possible, to reach an agreement. We are fully aware of Turkey's concerns, especially, as regards, possible action in its neck of the woods. But I call on our Turkish partners to take a constructive attitude so that an agreement can be reached soon. We should be able to expect a country which is a candidate for membership of the European Union to support rather than block one of the most important future projects of the European Union.
The Commission considers that it is important to improve relations between Turkey and Armenia in order to foster security and stability in the region. The Commission therefore welcomes the very recent initiative by the civil society in the two countries to bring the two nations closer together and, with the help of independent historians, to reappraise the tragic events of the past.
I welcome the European Parliament's position on the programme of financial assistance. The proposed amendments are acceptable to us. I particularly agree with the European Parliament that care must be taken to ensure that various sources of funding and programmes are properly coordinated.
It is true that we are probably now in a decisive stage of relations between the European Union and Turkey. Once the Lamassoure Reports have been adopted we shall have all the elements needed for our pre-accession strategy to hand by the end of the year. We can then go on to the next stage in which we shall have to focus mainly on stepping up and putting Turkish preparations for accession into practice.
I should also like to emphasise that the Commission agrees with the conclusions and views expressed by the rapporteur, Mr Lamassoure, in his report. Here, too, there is a broad agreement and this, too, will be helpful as we continue in our work. Several speakers have said, and I should like to stress this, that Turkey has become more, rather than less, important to us. And this does not only have to do with its geo-strategic position. I have always warned about reducing Turkey to a locality of special geo-strategic importance. I prefer to believe that Turkey's uniqueness also lies in its cultural and historic heritage and in the political role which it can play at this global political interface. The political elite in Turkey have demonstrated that they are absolutely determined to keep modernising the country and bringing it closer to European standards.
The constitutional reform which has now been decided is an important indication of this. For me, this constitutional reform represents real progress. Parliament adopted these important resolutions very quickly and with an overwhelming majority. I think this large majority is particularly important, because it clearly shows that there is broad social consensus on the need for democratic and rule-of-law reforms.
These changes need to demonstrate that they are effective in practice, however. The crucial question to Turkey is always, what has actually changed? Which is why everyone is right who said, during the debate, that the point now, as far as they were concerned, was to see how Turkey implements these promising constitutional reforms and what actually changes. In this respect, the Commission agrees with the European Parliament's appraisal that, the constitutional reforms and further legislative initiatives announced, notwithstanding, a great deal still needs to be done if human rights really are to be securely and permanently protected in Turkey.
Our relations have progressed well since Helsinki. The pre-accession strategy has been implemented. As with all the other candidate countries, the priorities for Turkey have also been set out in an accession partnership. This year Turkey adopted a national programme for incorporating the
which also includes the timetable for new legislation which has been called for on numerous occasions here in the House. This legislation will need to be in keeping with the
of the European Union.
We want to continue the pre-accession strategy for Turkey on the basis of the principles adopted in Helsinki. This obviously means that there can be no talk of starting negotiations until the political criteria for accession have been met. I would stress here that we are not in the business of offering discounts on the political criteria for accession to the European Union to anyone anywhere.
It is in keeping with the philosophy behind the Helsinki resolutions that, with the exception of negotiations, Turkey must be treated in exactly the same way in all other areas as the other candidate countries. The Lamassoure report refers to the difficult economic situation in Turkey. I should like to encourage Turkey to continue with the economic reforms agreed with the International Monetary Fund. As for us, we shall release the first tranche of EUR 75 million from the European Union structural adjustment facility for Turkey as quickly as possible.
As far as Cyprus is concerned, we continue to abide firmly by the view that the peace process should be resumed as quickly as possible under the auspices of the United Nations. Turkey has promised to support this process. But I must say quite unequivocally that the European Union expects this support to translate into specific action and result in our actually resolving this problem.
I am confident that accession negotiations with Cyprus will be concluded during the course of next year, which is why it is particularly important that the parties involved make every effort to find a lasting political solution. The components for a solution, which take account of the interests and concerns of all involved, are well documented. What we need is the political courage to grab this opportunity and resolve the Cyprus question now. The window of opportunity is open. But, it must be said, it will probably not be open for much longer."@en1
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