Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-12-18-Speech-3-041"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20021218.3.3-041"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"I, too, would like to congratulate the Danish presidency, particularly as far as the decision on Turkey is concerned. I think that this decision has succeeded very well in striking a balance between, on the one hand, recognition of the reforms that have already been adopted and those already announced, and the new government’s willingness to go even further if necessary, and, on the other, the ongoing need to stress that the European Union sees legislative changes as very important but that what actually happens with these legislative changes in practice is even more important. Consideration of this will take time, and I think that it is right to look at precisely what has taken place by the end of 2004. Let there be no misunderstanding; it is now up to Turkey to act.
The EU, however, must not sit on its hands. Where Turkey is concerned, it is no longer enough to simply refer to the Copenhagen political criteria, which are somewhat abstract. On the other hand, there is also no point in producing a whole stack of details without any form of prioritisation. I would therefore like to underscore the call made by the president of my group, Mr Cohn-Bendit, to the European Commission, and to Mr Verheugen, for it to be made absolutely clear once and for all what the changes are that we expect Turkey to make. To cite one example: the role of the army. Yes, this must change – lots of things must change – but what exactly does the European Union want to happen before negotiations begin? What must then happen while negotiations are in progress? Will the constitution have to be changed, for example? Will the National Security Council have to be abolished? These are all specific examples of areas in which the EU will have to be much, much more specific. If we are not, I am convinced that we will end up in a disastrous discussion about the interpretation of the political criteria, one that will be dominated by prejudices rather than by objective assessment. If we are more specific, however, this will give Turkey a chance – not by exerting pressure but by demonstrating that European values and standards are normative, in Turkey as elsewhere."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples