Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-03-08-Speech-2-558-000"
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"en.20110308.26.2-558-000"2
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"Madam President, it has indeed been a good and useful debate, reflecting a number of opinions and views.
I raised this issue in very much the same terms with Mr Davutoğlu, the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, last Friday. But let me also make the following comment. I think it is important not to shy away from commenting critically where we see problems. But it is also important to help Turkey put the legislation into such a form, such order, that it corresponds to the abovementioned Convention.
I am thinking about how to involve both the Council of Europe and the OECD in this process, and I will be informing the House about the results of these consultations and the way I recommend we proceed.
But, as many of you underlined, if Turkey indeed fulfils all relevant accession obligations and we remain committed and serious, then we will be able to avoid most of the frustration some of you referred to and move forward.
I also agree with those who are saying quite clearly that moving on the Additional Protocol, the Ankara Agreement, and achieving progress on the comprehensive settlement talks on Cyprus, would create a momentum for the accession negotiations.
I also agree with those who indicated that the rules of the game should not be changed in the middle of the game. But let me make it absolutely clear. For me, this is not a game; for me, this is a serious process. I strongly believe that, at the end of this process, most European Union and Turkish citizens will see clearly the benefits of a new and modern Turkey being a Member of the European Union.
My second remark would be that this year’s report is indeed very balanced. What I very much appreciate, and what the rapporteur has managed, to a large extent, to take into account, as has the debate today, is the need to look at the bigger picture and not just present this House with a list of incidents and problems.
My third point is that I also agree with those who are making it absolutely clear that the key to a number of the chapters is in the hands of our Turkish partners.
I am one of those who would like to see chapters such as Chapter 15 on Energy and, especially, Chapter 23 on the Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, opened. This is very important, particularly Chapter 23. I think it would be in the interests of both Turkey and the European Union to work on establishing a track record on these important issues.
It has been said that 14 chapters are frozen because of the Ankara Protocol. Let me make a personal comment. I think there is a distinction between those chapters which are frozen unilaterally and those which are frozen based on the recommendation of the Commission, because of the non-commitment of Turkey towards customs union, and then agreed by the Member States by consensus. Chapters 23 and 15 are among those being frozen unilaterally.
As a last point, let me also address an issue which is very much on our minds these days, and that is the situation of media freedom in Turkey. Last Thursday, I issued a clear statement to make absolutely sure that a message is sent to our Turkish colleagues that Turkish law does not sufficiently guarantee freedom of expression in line with the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights, and to make it absolutely clear that Turkey urgently needs to amend its legal framework to improve the exercise of freedom of the press both in practice, and in a significant manner."@en1
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