Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-10-24-Speech-3-013"
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"en.20071024.4.3-013"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would also like to start by thanking the rapporteur Ria Oomen-Ruijten, but also Jos Lagendijk and Hannes Swoboda, for the very good cooperation during the drafting of this resolution. I believe we have produced a good text with a surprisingly high level of consensus, and I think that is a very good thing.
For my Group, I would like to highlight and underline the key points once again. First of all, this resolution is a positive and constructive signal to Turkey. We welcome the fact that the summer’s constitutional crisis has been overcome, and we welcome the fact that the new Government has a strong and clear mandate for further reforms. However, we urge the Government unequivocally to use this mandate to genuinely drive forward the reforms.
What is important in this context – as the resolution says – is that these reforms are extremely important for Turkey itself, for the Turkish people, for Turkish society and for the Turkish economy. Turkey must continue to improve steadily and of its own accord and I am glad to see that there is increasing consensus in Turkey on this issue, as expressed in the April programme. It is good that this is still the case.
What is important for us is that the Copenhagen criteria will continue to be the key benchmark for the negotiations, just as the European Union’s own absorption capacity continues to be an important and indispensable criterion.
Reforms are urgently needed in the following areas in particular, some of which have already been mentioned. The Penal Code: Article 301 has already been mentioned, that is quite clear. To my mind, we should be starting to include Article 252 in the debate as well. This concerns insulting the memory of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and is problematical because this is also a restriction of freedom of speech.
A second important point is improving the situation of women. The number of honour killings continues to be a matter of grave concern. The constitutional reform must continue. Fundamental human rights and personal freedoms must be protected. Let me add that, from our perspective, electoral law is also a problem. A 10% hurdle is unheard of elsewhere in the OSCE.
Let me conclude by saying that we have to show some understanding for the difficult situation in Turkey, particularly in view of the dramatic events in the south-east on Turkey’s border with Iraq. We unequivocally condemn the terrorist activities of the PKK in recent weeks and I would like to pass on my Group’s condolences to the families of the soldiers who have been killed.
We urge the Turkish Government to react cautiously to this situation. There has been no sign, to date, that this has not been the case. Nonetheless, the measures adopted to mitigate the threat to Turkish territory must comply with the following conditions. They must be appropriate, proportionate and limited over time. The European Union understands the difficult situation in Turkey. It is important for Turkey to retain this understanding. A peaceful solution is, of course, our highest objective.
Today’s resolution is a genuinely constructive signal for positive dialogue with Turkey. Turkey will continue to be a very important partner for the European Union and must now press ahead resolutely with reform in its own interests."@en1
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