Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-09-26-Speech-2-198"
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"en.20060926.24.2-198"2
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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, firstly I am sorry but, unusually in my case, I have to leave halfway through this debate, because I have a press conference with European Commission President Barroso at 4 p.m., 10 minutes from now, which I have to attend. Straight after that we are both leaving for Sofia, in Bulgaria, and Bucharest, in Romania, to communicate today’s decision and the content of Parliament’s debate to these two future EU Member States. I regret that I have to serve two masters, but the last debate overran slightly and I am afraid that I have no alternative.
This matters also as regards the internal debate on Turkey to which the rapporteur, Mr Eurlings, referred. An open and constructive exchange of views is needed in Turkey, including the most sensitive issues. That is necessary both for the democratic process in Turkey and for facing tomorrow’s challenges, as well as for Turkey’s reconciliation with its neighbours, including Armenia. Reconciliation is a principle that is both the origin and the outcome of the European integration process. I therefore urge Turkey to continue to take concrete steps in that direction.
Secondly, with regard to freedom of religion, I fully agree with the rapporteur and the Council on this important matter. The Law on Foundations currently debated in the Turkish Grand National Assembly should address the shortcomings. Restrictions applied to property rights, management of foundations and training of the clergy must be lifted.
There are also Muslim minorities that face discrimination. The Alevi, a community of 15 to 20 million people, face legal restrictions on establishing places of worship and receive no financial support from the State religious authority.
In the south-east, the spiral of violence undermines positive developments witnessed since emergency rule was lifted some years ago. Terrorism is our common enemy. Turkey and the EU unequivocally condemn the PKK, and I deeply deplore the loss of innocent lives in the attacks that have taken place throughout the year in Turkey.
However, a policy based merely on security considerations is not sufficient to address the problems of the region. The south-east faces an aggravated socio-economic situation, due not only to security threats but also to high unemployment and poverty. We expect Turkey soon to adopt a comprehensive strategy targeting all the needs of this region: economic, social and cultural.
Let me turn to the obligations which Turkey needs to respect. We expect Turkey to implement fully the Additional Protocol of the Ankara Agreement. That means that Turkey should remove obstacles to the free movement of goods, including those on means of transport, which are in breach of the Association Agreement. Hence Turkey should open its ports to vessels under flags of all Member States, including the Republic of Cyprus. As set out in the Negotiating Framework, progress in the negotiations also depends on Turkey meeting its obligations. Let me reiterate that Turkey’s obligations under the Ankara Protocol are not linked to the ending of economic isolation of the Turkish-Cypriot community.
The draft report rightly calls on the Council to make renewed efforts to reach an agreement on the trade facilitation regulation concerning the northern part of Cyprus. The Commission fully supports the serious efforts of the Finnish Presidency to overcome the stalemate on the trade regulation, thus helping the Council and the EU Member States to live up to their commitments. It is also appropriate to underline the continuation of the constructive commitment by Turkey in finding a comprehensive settlement on the Cyprus question, acceptable to both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, based upon the principles on which the EU was founded.
To conclude, it is in our mutual interest for Turkey to pursue its democratic, societal and economic transformation with the goal of joining the EU. If Turkey succeeds, with our consistent support, it can become an ever-sturdier bridge between civilisations, at a moment when the relationship between Europe and Islam is the greatest challenge of our time. Turkey is an important benchmark in this regard and it matters for our own future and for the future of our children and grandchildren.
While the Commission is prepared to support Turkey through the process, it is ultimately up to Turkey to carry it forward. The extraordinary parliamentary session convened last week to accelerate the adoption of the ninth reform package is a welcome step in the right direction. Yet a more resolute reform process is needed for Turkey to progress on the path to EU accession. In this process, we should remember that – as Prime Minister Erdogan suggested – the Copenhagen criteria should be called the Ankara criteria, since they are there, in the first place, for the sake of Turkish citizens and their rights, not merely to please the EU.
Mr President, in the previous debate Mrs Lehtomäki made a statement on behalf of the Council on the future of enlargement. Like President Barroso, I welcome the statement and reiterate the Commission’s commitment and our policy of a consolidated enlargement agenda, which covers south-eastern Europe apart from Bulgaria and Romania. It covers Turkey and Croatia and the other countries of the western Balkans. We are cautious about any new commitments, but we stick to our existing commitments to the countries of south-eastern Europe
. They have the prospect of joining the European Union once they meet the conditions, as promised for the countries of the western Balkans at the Thessaloniki Summit in 2003. While we prepare internally for a new institutional settlement, the gradual and carefully-managed accession process continues with these countries of south-eastern Europe. We cannot take a sabbatical from our responsibilities for peace, stability, liberty and democracy.
We expect the EU Member States to be able to agree on a new institutional settlement in 2008; hence the new institutional settlement should have been born by the time the next member is likely to join. If Croatia, which is likely to be the next new member, pursues reforms with rigour and results, it should be ready to join the Union around the end of this decade.
Let me thank Mr Eurlings for his report, which includes useful elements for the assessment of Turkey’s progress towards accession. I also thank the members of the Foreign Affairs Committee for their contributions.
Turkey’s accession is a matter of constant debate. It is true that the momentum for reform has slowed down in Turkey in the past year. However, we should not lose sight of the progress accomplished in the last decade, nor of our commitments towards Turkey. The goal of the negotiations started on 3 October 2005 is full EU membership of Turkey, and by its very nature it is an open-ended process with no automatism.
This commitment stems from a solid understanding that integrating Turkey into the EU is of mutual benefit. In its own interest, the European Union needs a democratic, stable and increasingly prosperous Turkey. Turkey’s strategic significance was once again illustrated by its decision to take part in the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon.
In the past twelve months, there has been a lack of progress in the reforms. It is important that new initiatives are taken and that tangible progress is still achieved before the Commission presents its report on 8 November.
First, freedom of expression is the cornerstone of the reforms. Journalists, authors, publishers and human rights activists still face judicial proceedings for violations of the notorious Article 301 of the Penal Code on the vague grounds of ‘insulting Turkishness’. In July, the final ruling of the Court of Cassation in the case of Hrant Dink established jurisprudence on that notorious Article 301, which violates European standards. Thus, despite the acquittal of novelist Elif Shafak last week, freedom of expression remains under threat in Turkey.
The judicial proceedings have a chilling effect and damage the important work carried out by journalists, intellectuals and activists. I have repeatedly expressed my concerns about this, most recently last week to Foreign Minister Gül. Frankly, I am rather tired of repeating myself endlessly, but I shall continue to do so until the end of my term, unless this shortcoming is corrected. I cannot even imagine a Member State in the European Union which does not respect such a fundamental principle as freedom of expression. It is now high time for Turkey to amend the restrictive articles in the penal code and bring them truly into line with the European Convention on Human Rights."@en1
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