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Parliament Report Puts EU-Turkey Relations To The Test

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  • Parliament Report Puts EU-Turkey Relations To The Test

    PARLIAMENT REPORT PUTS EU-TURKEY RELATIONS TO THE TEST

    EurActiv, Belgium
    Sept 28 2006

    In Short:

    The Parliament has voted on a report that puts Turkey under pressure
    to reform further. Nevertheless, a controversial clause on Armenian
    genocide recognition was dropped.

    RELATED

    Turkey accession and Cyprus
    Background:

    Accession negotiations with Turkey were officially opened in October
    2005. In this process, the European Parliament's opinion on Turkey's
    progress on preparing for membership is of considerable importance.

    Even though the Parliament has so far not used its veto, it must give
    its agreement to any new Union member.

    Issues:

    The report was supported by a majority of 429 to 71 against with 125
    abstentions. A controversial clause, making recognition of the Armenian
    genocide a "precondition" to Turkey's EU accession, was amended.

    Rapporteur Camiel Eurlings of the Christian Democrats (EPP-ED) said
    the report was "tough but fair". The report points out the main
    stumbling blocks in the way of Turkey's accession to the EU. These
    are mainly reforms in the area of freedom of religion and freedom of
    expression, especially the notorious article 301, which has served
    as a basis for so-called "Turkishness"-cases against writers and
    journalists. Another concern is the opening of Turkish ports and
    airports to vessels from Cyprus.

    Positions:

    The Finnish presidency noted that there has been much achieved,
    but insisted that more "tangible results were needed". Minister for
    European Affairs Paula Lehtomaki said that Turkey needs to give new
    impetus to the pace of the political reform and vigorously pursue
    the reform process. Full and effective implementation of the reforms
    is of utmost importance for Turkey to ensure the irreversibility and
    sustainability of the changes.

    Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn also regretted the "lack of progress
    in reforms". He underlined that negotiations were "an open process"
    with no automatic guarantees. "The integration of Turkey would be
    of mutual benefit," he said, adding "the EU needs a prosperous and
    stable Turkey".

    Rapporteur Camiel Eurlings (EPP-ED) said its basic conclusion was
    that the EP regretted the "slowdown in reforms" in Turkey, although
    he did compliment the Turkish government on its 9th reform package.

    Christian Democrat MEP Elmar Brok (EPP-ED) stressed the issues of
    human rights, minority rights, freedom of religion and of expression.

    These, he said, were "preconditions" for EU membership. So far it
    had not even implemented the Ankara Protocol. He also emphasised that
    the financial aspects of the negotiations must be dealt with and that
    the EU had "no financial leeway" under the Financial Perspective.

    Liberal Andrew Duff (ALDE) stressed that EP's role was "to promote
    parliamentary democracy in Turkey". This meant encouraging Turkey's
    modernisation not putting up "spurious blocks" to the process. If there
    were a "train crash" in Cyprus, there would be two trains involved:
    one carrying "Turkey's efforts to create a viable reform of European
    Islam, where the prophet meets the Enlightenment", the other carrying
    Europe's efforts to develop a strong common foreign and defence policy,
    to which Turkey could make "an extraordinary contribution".

    Joost Lagendijk (Greens) said there was a big problem with the
    paragraphs in which, following amendments instigated by lobby groups,
    recognition of the Armenian genocide by Turkey was described as a
    precondition for Turkey to join. He said the parliament must "support
    people in Turkey who are fighting for the same things as us".

    The Turkish ARI Movement warned that this development could weaken
    Turkish enthusiasm and ambitions in the reform process.

    Latest & next steps:

    The Commission's progress report on Turkey has been postponed and is
    due on 8 November 2006.
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