Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-04-01-Speech-4-033"
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"en.20040401.2.4-033"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, let me start with warm thanks to Mr Oostlander, who, in this report and its predecessor, has examined in depth the issue of Turkey and of its development into a democratic state in which the rule of law prevails.
I do think, though, that the time is coming when Europe will have to answer the question of how we want, in the long term, to organise relations between the European Union and Turkey, and I would like to say that I am greatly saddened by the prevalent opinion that, where Turkey’s relationship with the European Union is concerned, there are only two options, one being that it becomes a Member State and the other that it does not. This belief completely disregards the variegated and diverse individual ways in which the European Union and other countries can cooperate. I am from a region bordering on Switzerland, a country with which we have concluded a privileged partnership, which has enabled us to join together in resolving problems while each developing in our own way. That is precisely what we are thinking of when we talk about Turkey. Commissioner Verheugen is of course right to say that we need to stabilise the forces that are working for reform, but is full Member State status the only means of doing so? Is there not another option when it comes to ensuring that Turkey develops economically and as a stable democracy, which is in our interests as Europeans, without accession to the European Union being a necessary consequence of that? That, precisely, is what we should be discussing among ourselves, with great frankness and great honesty.
I would urge the Commission – or the remnant of it that is still there, as it is currently breaking up – when it puts together its report for presentation to the Heads of State or Government in the autumn, to give in-depth attention to the question of whether or not the political criteria have been fulfilled. My own country is still granting asylum to people from Turkey, because they are persecuted by the State there. Can we carry on accession negotiations with such a country? I do not believe that we can. I would also ask the Council to give this question very serious consideration, because, ultimately, Parliament’s consent will be needed. If the Heads of State or Government think they can take fundamental decisions of this kind without reference to the European people, then they deceive themselves. They are deluded if they think it would end up all happening automatically, that Parliament and the people would go along with it – for some Member States will hold referendums on whether or not to ratify it. What this House has, here and now, is, I think, a great opportunity to give thought to this, and to send the peoples of the European Union the message that, while we are very serious about the concerns and expectations of people in Turkey and in our other neighbouring countries where this European Union of ours is concerned, we do have options open to us other than merely discussing full membership, and we should now explore them together."@en1
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