Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-12-17-Speech-3-212"
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"en.20031217.8.3-212"2
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".
Mr President, honourable Member, the European Commission shares your concern about drugs passing through Turkey. The Association Agreement with Turkey provides for institutions allowing the Commission to monitor very closely whether Turkey is adopting and implementing Community measures on organised crime and drugs and how it is doing so. Negotiations are also currently taking place for observer status for Turkey in the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. I think Turkey will be given that observer status next year.
Work will begin on 1 January 2004 under a partnership arrangement to set up a national contact point for the European Information Network on Drugs and Drug Addiction and to encourage the development and implementation of a national strategy on drugs. The Commission also believes that a small Dublin Group should be set up in Ankara as quickly as possible. I am pleased to be able to tell you that Turkey has made and is making great efforts to prevent drug trafficking. Turkey is actively involved in international measures to prevent the channelling of heroin from Afghanistan into the European Union. By the very nature of things, honourable Member, I cannot tell you anything about the nature of those measures here, because some of them involve operations by the secret services. I can only say that the information available to the Commission shows that Turkey is cooperating fully and that the undertone in your question is unjustified.
In 2002, the Turkish authorities seized 2 124 kg of heroin. That was less than in previous years. The reason for this is that the international drug traffickers have changed their routes as a result of the strict controls in Turkey. In 2003, the Turkish customs introduced the latest systems at three border crossings, allowing vehicles passing through those crossings to be checked by scanners. This has resulted in the discovery of large quantities of smuggled drugs.
When it comes to international cooperation, the Turkish customs authorities hold monthly meetings with drugs liaison officers who are sent to Turkey. It goes without saying that in its cooperation with Turkey the Commission presses for full compliance with all agreements and provisions relating to the fight against drugs."@en1
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