Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Bot is disappointed in Turkey's declaration

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Bot is disappointed in Turkey's declaration

    Bot is disappointed in Turkey's declaration

    Reformatorisch Dagblad
    Dutch daily newspaper

    Wednesday, 31 August 2005

    THE HAGUE - The Dutch judgement on Turkey's declaration not recognising
    Cyprus is politically disappointing. Turkey made this declaration
    recently when Ankara signed the customs union with ten new EU
    countries, among others Cyprus.

    Signing of the customs union was a condition of the EU to Turkey to
    be able to start accession negotiations on 3 October.

    The Netherlands feels that the Turkish declaration is politically
    disappointing, according to minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Bot. At
    the same time the declaration "does not formally affect the meaning of
    the signature" of the protocol with the EU. The government thinks that
    legal value of the signature is not damaged by Turkey's declaration.

    The Federation of Armenian Organisations in the Netherlands (FAON)
    insisted on Tuesday at the House of Representatives that Turkey must
    recognise the Armenian genocide of 1915 before the country can join
    the EU. The FAON "sounds alarm", according to spokesperson I. Drost.
    We predict that Turkey will not easily accept her past.

    Turkish politicians seem to be prepared to speak from time to time
    about the massacres of the Armenians, but in reality they deny the
    Genocide.

    In a petition, the FAON calls on the Parliament to sharply condemn
    the negationist policy. If Turkey nevertheless continues with it, then
    it must have consequences for the start of the accession negotiations
    between the EU and Turkey, according to FAON.

    The Parliament must request of minister Bot to urgently require comply
    with all accession criteria, such as complying with human rights,
    rights of minorities and freedom of expression.

    Bot must on his part persuade his European colleagues of the need to
    include recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a condition in the
    negotiation document with Turkey. "It is now or never", Drost said
    Tuesday. "This is our last attempt to get recognition incorporated
    into a European document."
Working...
X