MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
18.10.2007
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Philip Claeys, Frank Vanhecke and Koenraad Dillen
on behalf of the ITS Group
on relations between the European Union and Turkey
B6‑0398/2007
European Parliament resolution on relations between the European Union and Turkey
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its resolution of 18 June 1987 on a political solution to the Armenian issue,
– having regard to its resolution of 25 November 2000 on the Commission's periodic report for 1999 on Turkey's progress towards accession,
– having regard to its resolution of 1 April 2004 on the Commission's periodic report for 2003 on Turkey's progress towards accession,
– having regard to its resolution of 15 December 2004 on the Commission's periodic report for 2004 and recommendation on Turkey's progress towards accession,
– having regard to its resolution of 6 July 2005 on the role of women in social, economic and political life in Turkey,
– having regard to its resolution of 28 September 2005 on the opening of the negotiations with Turkey,
– having regard to its resolution of 13 February 2006 on the role of women in social, economic and political life in Turkey,
– having regard to its resolution of 27 September 2006 on Turkey's progress towards accession,
– having regard to its resolutions on the Commission's enlargement strategy papers,
– having regard to the framework of 3 October 2005 for the negotiations with Turkey,
– having regard to Council Decision 2006/35/EC of 23 January 2006 on the principles, priorities and conditions contained in the Accession Partnership with Turkey,
– having regard to the Commission's progress report 2006 on Turkey (SEC(2006)1390),
– having regard to the communication from the Commission on the Enlargement Strategy and Main Challenges 2006-2007 (COM(2006)0649),
– having regard to the judgment given by the Court of Cassation of Turkey on 26 June 2007,
– having regard to Resolution 106 of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the US House of Representatives of 10 October 2007, which acknowledges the genocide against the Armenians,
– having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the opening of the negotiations with Turkey on 3 October 2005 marked the start of a long and open-ended process,
B. whereas Turkey has assumed legal commitments to carry out economic reforms, reforms in the field of democracy and human rights and good-neighbourly relations and gradual adjustment of its legislation and policies, but whereas, particularly in the field of respect for human rights and good-neighbourly relations, virtually no progress has been made since the opening of the negotiating process and whereas the pace of other reforms has also slowed significantly since 2004,
C. whereas full compliance with all the Copenhagen criteria remain the basis for accession by a European State to the European Union and whereas the absorption capacity of the European Union is a fundamental criterion in this context,
D. whereas Turkey continues to openly and systematically violate the provisions of the Association Agreement and the Additional Protocol,
1. Notes that the most recent parliamentary elections in Turkey resulted in a massive victory for the Islamist AKP party and that in addition, for the first time, a person who explicitly presents himself as a Muslim has been appointed President; fears that there is a danger that the process of Islamisation will be even further accelerated by this, jeopardising the secular character of the Turkish State;
2. Calls upon Turkey finally to make fundamental progress in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly freedom of religion and protection of religious minorities; expects the Commission at long last to make this a priority for attention and to make the appropriate legal and political response unless a specific timetable is adhered to;
3. Is particularly concerned about the extremely low rate of participation by women in the Turkish employment market and about the enormous gulf between the socio-economic situation of South-Eastern Turkey and of other regions; notes that in general the very weak economic and social position of women is largely due to cultural and religious factors;
4. Considers that close cooperation between the EU and Turkey in the field of energy could yield mutual benefits; draws Turkey's attention to the fact that energy projects in the southern Caucasus in which the country is involved must be open to all countries with which the EU maintains relations as part of its neighbourhood policy;
5. Considers it to be of fundamental importance that the new Turkish Constitution should fully protect human rights and fundamental freedoms and guarantee the separation of powers and the democratic and secular character of the Turkish State; is concerned, in this context, about the opposition of the governing AKP party to the inclusion in the Constitution of a provision which explicitly makes it no longer a criminal offence to convert to a different religion, and expresses its concern about the decision by the AKP government to abolish, in the Constitution, the traditional ban on wearing headscarves at Turkish universities and other higher-education establishments; points out that, in the European Union countries, freedom of religion applies unconditionally but that religious practices are a private matter and are conducted in private; fears that abolition of this ban is a significant step towards the further Islamisation of Turkey; observes in this context that the army continues to present itself as the guardian of the secular character of the Turkish State;
6. Notes that, in the field of protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, it is still the case that very little is being done to protect women's rights and implement a zero-tolerance policy with regard to torture in Turkey, and draws attention, in this context, to the report of July 2007 by the human rights organisation Amnesty International; also expresses its concern about a resolution adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in October 2007 in which the latter accused Turkey of impeding access to legal proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights;
7. Considers it unacceptable that access to both the YouTube website and the Worldpress.com portal was blocked after a judicial ruling, and regards such censorship as constituting a flagrant violation of freedom of expression and freedom of the press;
8. Considers it unacceptable that a number of people are still being prosecuted for violating Article 301 of the Criminal Code, and considers that a country where freedom of expression and freedom of the press are not fully guaranteed cannot be regarded as allowing the rule of law to prevail; stresses that the current procedure for the adoption of the Constitution must not prevent or delay abolition of Article 301 of the Criminal Code, as some people in positions of authority in Turkey have already suggested;
9. Notes that religious minorities in Islamic Turkey are in a very precarious situation; notes that the Orthodox and Catholic communities still do not possess legal personality, that churches cannot acquire property and that property which has been seized has still not been returned; observes that religious minorities in Turkey are victims not only of discrimination and all manner of administrative harassment but also of growing violence; considers the judgment of 26 June 2007 by the Turkish Court of Cassation concerning the Patriarch of Constantinople illustrative of Turkey's treatment of its religious minorities; considers it unacceptable that an official candidate for membership of the EU should violate the rights and freedoms of religious minorities and calls on Turkey, without delay, to adopt a law on foundations which puts an end to the existing legal uncertainty and to adopt clear provisions which fully guarantee freedom of religious practice and permit religious minorities, inter alia, to acquire immovable property and train clergy; expects financial aid to Turkey, in future, to be made conditional on protection of the Christian heritage;
10. Strongly condemns the murder of the Armenian writer Hrant Dink, the murder of the Christian priest Andrea Santoro, the murder of three Christians in Malatya and the terrorist attack in Ankara, and takes the view that these typify the climate of intolerance of religious minorities; expects the Turkish authorities to protect groups and persons belonging to religious minorities and expects the Turkish Government to put an end to all official discrimination against people belonging to religious minorities or institutions belonging to religious minorities;
11. Considers it unacceptable that women in Turkey are still victims of systematic violence and all manner of discrimination, and draws attention to the deep-rooted and tolerated 'right to commit honour crimes'; expects the Commission, therefore, to make this a priority for attention; also notes that, since the AKP came to power in 2002, it has been made far more difficult for women to work in public administration; fears, in this context, that the decision by the AKP Government to abolish the traditional ban on the wearing of headscarves at universities and other higher-education establishments in the new Constitution will ultimately also lead to abolition of the ban on the wearing of headscarves in the Turkish administration, which in turn will increase social pressure on women in general to wear headscarves;
12. Expects the new government to bring about a peaceful, stable, political solution to the Turkish-Kurdish conflict and considers that improving the economic and social situation in South-Eastern Turkey is of the first importance in this context;
13. Condemns the violence of the PKK and other terrorist groups on Turkish soil but on the other hand draws Turkey's attention to the fact that any unilateral military operation in Northern Iraq would constitute a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Iraq, which is unacceptable to the EU;
14. Deplores the fact that Turkey continues to maintain an economic embargo, to close borders and to issue threats against neighbouring countries or carry out military operations which increase tension with them; calls on Turkey to officially acknowledge the genocide against the Armenians and to present its apologies to Armenia and the Armenian people; stresses that only this acknowledgement is a serious starting point for a process of reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia; deplores in this connection the response by Turkey's President, Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and supreme commander of the army to the resolution adopted by the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the US House of Representatives on 10 October 2007 acknowledging the genocide against the Armenians, and also condemns the political pressure from Turkey which preceded the adoption of this resolution;
15. Deplores the fact that Turkey is still impeding substantial progress in efforts to secure a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus question; considers the occupation of Northern Cyprus by Turkish troops to constitute a violation of international public law; calls on Turkey, therefore, to initiate an immediate withdrawal of its troops from Northern Cyprus;
16. Considers that the establishment of an instrument to provide financial support to promote the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community constitutes a violation of UN Security Council Resolutions 541 (1983) and 550 (1984), and draws the Commission's attention to the fact that the prohibition on acquiring territory by means of aggression forms part of jus cogens, which must always be complied with;
17. Considers it unacceptable that Turkey continues to openly and systematically violate its obligations under the Association Agreement and the Additional Protocol;
18. Welcomes the statement of 17 April 2007 by the former Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs and current President that reforms will be implemented irrespective of whether or not Turkey ultimately accedes to the EU; considers, in this context, that economic, institutional and legislative reforms are necessary for the development of Turkey into a democratic, prosperous State with which the EU and its Member States maintain special relationships; advocates a special partnership between the EU and Turkey;
19. Considers that the 'no' vote in the French and Dutch referendums on the European Constitution was largely due to opposition to Turkish accession to the EU, which was confirmed both before and afterwards by opinion polls in various EU Member States; points to the enormous gulf which exists in this respect between European governments and institutions on the one hand and Europe's peoples on the other; advocates that referendums be held on the issue of Turkish membership of the EU in all EU Member States;
20. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Government and Parliament of Turkey.