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  • ANKARA: EP Report Drops Genocide Clause, Calls For Investigation

    EP REPORT DROPS GENOCIDE CLAUSE, CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION
    By Selcuk Gultasli - Emre Demir, Strasbourg

    Zaman, Turkey
    Sept 28 2006

    The Turkey report prepared by Dutch parliamentarian Camiel Eurlings
    was adopted Wednesday at a European Parliament (EP) meeting, but it
    included revisions.

    There were 429 'yes' votes, 71 'no' votes, and 125 abstained. A clause
    that would have set the recognition of the alleged Armenian genocide
    as a pre-condition for Turkey's EU membership and the proposal on a
    privileged partnership for Turkey, rather than full EU membership,
    were rejected. The non-binding report called on Ankara to accelerate
    its reform process. Before the vote, the majority of Socialist,
    Liberal and Green Party MPs asked for the withdrawal of the paragraph
    on genocide. The proposal demanding the withdrawal of the genocide
    clause was adopted with 320 'yes' votes against 282 'no' votes. The
    report, referred to by some parliamentarians as "a lobby report,"
    also called for the indirect recognition of the Assyrian and Pontus
    Greek genocides. By adopting the report, the EP aims to influence
    the content of the progress report to be released on Nov. 8.

    It is the first time an EP report referred to the Greek Pontus and
    Assyrian "genocides," as well as to the headscarf issue. The impact
    of the efforts to make the document on the Cyprus issue more balanced
    was limited. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies,
    who went to the EP to hold meetings, noted that while the revised
    report was more positive, the genocide paragraph was disturbing.

    Rapparteur Eurlings, who cited the report as "balanced" was asked
    a number of questions on the subject. Asserting that the report's
    references to the Pontus and Assyrian "genocides" were not calls
    for genocide recognition, Eurlings stated that they were meant to
    encourage Turkey to face its past.

    Paragraph 50 of the report calling for recognition of the purported
    Armenian genocide urges Turkey to open its Armenian border, improve
    its bilateral relations and establish diplomatic relations with
    Armenia. The same paragraph also proposes the investigation of the
    "genocide" issue by a commission to be established under the auspices
    of the United Nations The conclusion of the paragraph urges the
    adoption of the same approach with regard to the "other minorities,"
    in reference to the Greek Pontians and Assyrians. The paragraph, which
    lacks quality and coherence, calls for the establishment of diplomatic
    relations with Pontians and Assyrians, for whom no state exists..

    The report, which rejects the clause that would set the recognition
    of the Armenian genocide by Turkey as a membership pre-condition,
    implies that Pontians and Assyrians were subjected to "genocide,"
    just like the Armenians. Even though the amendment proposal submitted
    by Greek MPs to recognize the Greek Pontus "genocide" was rejected,
    the last two expressions in the report disturbed Turkey's delegation.

    The references made to those three "genocides" spurred a new debate
    on how to read the report. Joost Lagendijk, the Turkey-EU Joint
    Parliamentary Commission co-chairman, and Eurlings said that the
    report did not make a call for the recognition of Pontus and Assyrian
    "genocides," but aimed instead at encouraging Turkey to discuss its
    past. Vural, an EP member of Turkish origin, strongly condemned
    the expressions on "genocides." Because the report made indirect
    references to the "genocides," it is most likely that the upcoming
    EP reports will contain similar expressions.

    EU Discusses Headscarves for 1st time

    A headscarf proposal submitted by German and Dutch Green Party
    members was adopted in Wednesday's session. This is the first time
    an EU document made reference to the headscarf issue. The proposal
    does not specify a concrete resolution of the issue, but instead
    expresses hope for a consensus on the controversy. The proposal
    notes that there is an ongoing controversy in Turkish society on
    the status of the headscarf and that there is no binding EU ruling
    on this particular issue, but expresses hope for the realization
    achievement of a consensus that would allow the wearing of headscarves
    at universities. The EU Commission's annual report did not make any
    reference to the headscarf issue.

    Turkish deputies who held meetings in Strasbourg in an attempt to
    amend the report noted that the recently adopted report was "much
    more positive" than the one adopted in early September. Saban Disli,
    AKP Deputy Chairman responsible for foreign affairs, Murat Mercan,
    Chairman of the Turkish Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of
    the Council of Europe, and delegation member Mevlut Cavusoglu said
    the report was no more negative than previous ones, but there had
    been a setback in overall relations.

    Watson: Turkey Deserves Better Report

    Speaking to Zaman immediately after the vote, Liberal Party leader
    Graham Watson said that he preferred to abstain from voting since
    he did not approve the report. Noting that Turkey deserved a more
    embracing and positive report, Watson further said that the majority
    of the Liberal group abstained in the voting session based on its
    unbalanced content. Citing its unbalanced approach with regard to the
    Cyprus issue and references made to the Assyrian and Pontus "genocides"
    as the most disturbing aspects of the report, Watson noted that the
    European Union should help Turkish society discuss the issue of the
    alleged Armenian genocide.
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