EP casts Armenian shadow over Turkey's EU bid
ABHaber 06.09.2006
thenewanatolian.com
The European Parliament late Monday approved a sharply critical report on Turkey, calling on Ankara to recognize the Armenian genocide claims before becoming a member of the European Union.
The report entitled "Turkey's Progress Towards Accession," which was prepared by EP Committee on Foreign Affairs Rapporteur and MEP Camiel Eurlings, was approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee with some amendments which made it harsher towards Turkey than it had been. It also criticized a number of issues, including Cyprus, a slowdown in the EU reform process, the situation in the southeast, problems with religious minorities, cultural rights and civilian-military relations.
The report, which was approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee, isn't binding but plays a role in making recommendations for Turkey and will be put to a vote by the EP's full 732-member assembly during Sept. 25-28 meetings.
Taking note of a Turkish proposal to set up a bilateral committee of experts to deal with controversial past incidents and of Armenia's position on the proposal, the report urged the Turkish and Armenian governments to continue their process of reconciliation leading to a mutually acceptable proposal and asked Turkey to take the necessary steps, without any preconditions, to establish diplomatic and good neighborly relations with Armenia and open their land border as soon as possible.
It also claimed that Turkey committed "genocide against the Pontic Greeks and Assyrians."
EU rebukes Ankara on pace of reforms
In Eurlings' report, EU lawmakers sharply criticized Turkey over its slow pace of reforms and warned that failure to make progress on the Cyprus dispute risks bringing entry negotiations to a halt.
Turkey's reservations about opening its airports and harbors to the Greek Cypriots will have serious implications for the EU process and could even bring it to a halt, warned the draft report, calling on Turkey to take steps towards the recognition of the Greek Cypriot administration during its accession process. It also raised the idea of an early withdrawal of forces from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). It also called on the European Council to renew efforts to implement trade regulations with Northern Cyprus.
Report urges progress in human rights
The toughly worded report also called on Ankara to take steps towards making progress on freedom of expression and raised concerns about the country's treatment of religious minorities, the Kurdish population and women.
Noting that certain progress has been made in women's rights after the revised Turkish Penal Code (TCK) came into force last year, the report however then stressed that a lack of respect for women's rights in Turkey remains a matter of serious concern.
The EP report also urged Ankara to take concrete steps to remove obstacles facing religious minorities related to, in particular, their legal status, the training of clergy, and their property rights, and called for an immediate stop to all seizures and selling off of property belonging to religious communities by the Turkish authorities and the immediate reopening of the Greek Orthodox Halki seminary and public use of the "ecclesiastical title of the 'ecumenical' patriarch."
It also called for the protection and recognition of Alevis, including the recognition of cemevis as religious centers, and for all religious education to be voluntary and not cover just the Sunni branch of Islam.
Taking into consideration the amendment requests of MEPs Joost Lagendijk and Cem Ozdemir, the report also called on Ankara to find a solution to the headscarf ban in universities.
Solidarity with Turkey in fighting terror
The EP also condemned a resurgence of violence in the southeast by the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and stressed that there can never be an excuse for violence against Turkish citizens in any part of the country. The report also expressed solidarity with Turkey in fighting terrorism.
The report severely condemned May's killing of a Council of State judge, expressing concern over the low level of security offered to judges by the police despite clear and public threats, and called on the government to rectify the situation.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
thenewanatolian.com
The European Parliament late Monday approved a sharply critical report on Turkey, calling on Ankara to recognize the Armenian genocide claims before becoming a member of the European Union.
The report entitled "Turkey's Progress Towards Accession," which was prepared by EP Committee on Foreign Affairs Rapporteur and MEP Camiel Eurlings, was approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee with some amendments which made it harsher towards Turkey than it had been. It also criticized a number of issues, including Cyprus, a slowdown in the EU reform process, the situation in the southeast, problems with religious minorities, cultural rights and civilian-military relations.
The report, which was approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee, isn't binding but plays a role in making recommendations for Turkey and will be put to a vote by the EP's full 732-member assembly during Sept. 25-28 meetings.
Taking note of a Turkish proposal to set up a bilateral committee of experts to deal with controversial past incidents and of Armenia's position on the proposal, the report urged the Turkish and Armenian governments to continue their process of reconciliation leading to a mutually acceptable proposal and asked Turkey to take the necessary steps, without any preconditions, to establish diplomatic and good neighborly relations with Armenia and open their land border as soon as possible.
It also claimed that Turkey committed "genocide against the Pontic Greeks and Assyrians."
EU rebukes Ankara on pace of reforms
In Eurlings' report, EU lawmakers sharply criticized Turkey over its slow pace of reforms and warned that failure to make progress on the Cyprus dispute risks bringing entry negotiations to a halt.
Turkey's reservations about opening its airports and harbors to the Greek Cypriots will have serious implications for the EU process and could even bring it to a halt, warned the draft report, calling on Turkey to take steps towards the recognition of the Greek Cypriot administration during its accession process. It also raised the idea of an early withdrawal of forces from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). It also called on the European Council to renew efforts to implement trade regulations with Northern Cyprus.
Report urges progress in human rights
The toughly worded report also called on Ankara to take steps towards making progress on freedom of expression and raised concerns about the country's treatment of religious minorities, the Kurdish population and women.
Noting that certain progress has been made in women's rights after the revised Turkish Penal Code (TCK) came into force last year, the report however then stressed that a lack of respect for women's rights in Turkey remains a matter of serious concern.
The EP report also urged Ankara to take concrete steps to remove obstacles facing religious minorities related to, in particular, their legal status, the training of clergy, and their property rights, and called for an immediate stop to all seizures and selling off of property belonging to religious communities by the Turkish authorities and the immediate reopening of the Greek Orthodox Halki seminary and public use of the "ecclesiastical title of the 'ecumenical' patriarch."
It also called for the protection and recognition of Alevis, including the recognition of cemevis as religious centers, and for all religious education to be voluntary and not cover just the Sunni branch of Islam.
Taking into consideration the amendment requests of MEPs Joost Lagendijk and Cem Ozdemir, the report also called on Ankara to find a solution to the headscarf ban in universities.
Solidarity with Turkey in fighting terror
The EP also condemned a resurgence of violence in the southeast by the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and stressed that there can never be an excuse for violence against Turkish citizens in any part of the country. The report also expressed solidarity with Turkey in fighting terrorism.
The report severely condemned May's killing of a Council of State judge, expressing concern over the low level of security offered to judges by the police despite clear and public threats, and called on the government to rectify the situation.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
posted by Vahe Balabanian at 9:23 AM
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