Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-09-28-Speech-3-012"
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"en.20050928.3.3-012"2
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".
Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, scarcely any political issue has such far-reaching implications for the existence of the European Union as the possibility of Turkey becoming a member of it. Being a major issue, opinions differ as to what is to be done about it. Speaking on behalf of my group, and having been one of the signatories to the joint motion for a resolution, let me say that, on so fundamental an issue as this, we do of course allow every one of our members to vote in whichever way they choose, because this is an issue on which every single member of our group has their own opinions, not only because we allow them to, but because it is our profound conviction that they should. That is why different members of our group can be found taking up different positions on this subject.
We do, however, agree on one thing, and it is for that reason that we have been able to give the motion for a resolution our unanimous backing, that being that both parties to the negotiations on Turkey must see them as open-ended as regards their outcome. We want to stress that we all have an interest in democracy, the rule of law, and human rights in Turkey developing in such a way that they are brought closer to our values. Even if Turkish accession is not the ultimate objective, or even if, at the end of this process, Turkey does not become a Member State, we can, today, tell our Turkish friends and partners that it is still very much in our interests to seek a close alternative partnership that will put partnership, cooperation and friendship with Turkey on a sound footing. Having listened to all that has been said by the President-in-Office and the Commissioner, let us not mince our words: we are dancing around as if on eggshells, with statements being issued by this party and that, by Turkey on the one hand and the Council on the other.
As Mr Brok has reminded us, Commissioner, you gave the Committee on Foreign Affairs an undertaking that you would attempt to get the Turkish Government to make a statement to the effect that its non-recognition of Cyprus and its refusal to let Cypriot ships or aircraft dock or land on Turkish soil was not an issue in the process of ratification by Turkey. That declaration has not been forthcoming. If we do not get from you such a declaration, in which Turkey assures you that these matters will not feature in the ratification process by noon today, then our group will move that approval of the protocol be deferred, for it is logical – both politically and inherently – that there should be no vote on this until such time as such a declaration from the Turkish Government is in our hands.
Let me ask a very serious question: how do things stand as regards human rights? I suggest you go and ask the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church, Patriarch Bartholomew. Where the freedom of Christians to practise their religion in Turkey is concerned, nothing has changed. We, in the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats, are all in favour of partnership, friendship and dialogue with the Islamic world, but that cannot be a one-way street. Islam, too – meaning, in this instance, the Turkish Government – must be willing to acknowledge the legitimate rights of Christians in Turkey and to give that practical expression. That is something that worries me. I am addressing the President-in-Office of the Council – who will, I hope, pay attention – when I say that I call on the British Government to apply the same standards across the board. We know what the human rights situation in Turkey is like, but what about Croatia? We are refusing to begin negotiations with Croatia on the grounds that this general is not being handed over, even though it is patently obvious that the government is not in a position to do that. For Turkey, though, almost all of us close our eyes and apply different yardsticks. I urge you, for the sake of your own credibility, to apply uniform standards and treat Croatia, too, fairly and objectively.
This is very important, and we urge the Commission to do it. Although it can always rely on our support, we will also take a highly critical line if there is no improvement in the human rights situation within a specified period of time after negotiations with Turkey begin. We know that torture is still going on. If a stop is not put to it, we must also be ready to defer negotiations. We must not pass over these violations of human rights in silence.
That brings me to the last point I want to make: it is a very important one, and I shall quote from our joint resolution, which I signed along with Mr Eurlings and Mr Brok, whom I want to thank warmly for jointly leading the negotiations on behalf of our group. Paragraph 16 of it states that the Treaty of Nice is not an acceptable basis for further decisions on the accession of any further new Member States and that Parliament therefore insists that the necessary reforms be brought into force within the framework of the constitutional process. What that means is that it is not just Turkey that must meet the conditions for accession. That is a hard and tricky road to go down, and we hope that Turkey will go down the road that leads to democracy, to the rule of law and to human rights. We too, the European Union, must be certain that we can cope with an accession. If that is not the case, then it is irresponsible to keep on enlarging this European Union of ours, for we will end up with something that is no longer the European Union. Here, at the heart of the European Union, let us do what has to be done to make this European Union strong and effective."@en1
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