MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Turkey
11.6.2013 - (2013/2664(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Ria Oomen-Ruijten, José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, Mairead McGuinness, Elmar Brok, Cristian Dan Preda, Arnaud Danjean, Roberta Angelilli, Eleni Theocharous, Bernd Posselt, Eija-Riitta Korhola on behalf of the PPE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0305/2013
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions, in particular that of 18 April 2013 on Turkey’s 2012 progress report[1],
– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,
– having regard to the Negotiating Framework for Turkey of 3 October 2005,
– having regard to Council Decision 2008/157/EC of 18 February 2008 on the principles, priorities and conditions contained in the Accession Partnership with the Republic of Turkey[2] (‘the Accession Partnership’), as well as to the previous Council decisions on the Accession Partnership of 2001, 2003 and 2006,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas in the early hours of Friday, 31 May 2013 the Turkish police engaged in an effort to dispel a group of demonstrators, who had been protesting for weeks against the planned felling of trees for a new construction project in Istanbul’s Gezi Park in the Taksim Square area;
B. whereas the heavy-handed police intervention led to clashes with the protesters, which quickly spread to other cities in Turkey, and whereas these clashes led to casualties, numerous people wounded, mass arrests and severe damage to private and public property; whereas the demonstrations have gained support among different strata of Turkish society;
C. whereas the initial harsh condemnation by the Turkish Government seems to have been counter-productive;
D. whereas Article 34 of the Turkish Constitution guarantees the right to organise peaceful, unarmed meetings and demonstrations without permission;
E. whereas the protests are also linked to concerns in some sections of Turkish society over a series of recent decisions and legislative acts on issues such as restrictions on the sale of alcohol and educational reforms;
F. whereas the mainstream Turkish media were slow to report adequately on the demonstrations;
G. whereas Commissioner Füle and HR/VP Catherine Ashton have reacted to these events;
1. Expresses its deep concern regarding the excessive use of force by the Turkish police in their response to the peaceful, legitimate protests in Istanbul’s Gezi Park, and calls on the Turkish authorities to thoroughly investigate the police violence and to bring those responsible to justice;
2. Calls on the Turkish authorities to guarantee and respect the right of freedom of expression, of peaceful assembly and of peaceful protest for all citizens; calls for the immediate release of all the peaceful protestors who were taken into custody;
3. Welcomes the moderate response by President Gül and the apologies to the injured protesters by Deputy Prime Minister Arinc; underlines the importance of dialogue between the Turkish Government and peaceful protesters;
4. Reminds Turkey that in an inclusive, pluralist democracy all citizens should feel represented and that the majority has a responsibility to include the opposition and civil society in the decision-making process; also reminds the opposition parties of their responsibility to do their part to create a democratic political culture with respect for diverse views and opinions;
5. Is concerned about the ongoing confrontation between the political parties, and the lack of readiness on the part of government and opposition to work towards consensus on key reforms; urges all political actors, the government and the opposition to work together to enhance political plurality in state institutions and to promote the modernisation and democratisation of the state and society;
6. Points to the crucial role of a system of checks and balances in the governance of a modern democratic state, which must be based on the principle of separation of powers, with balance between the executive, legislative and judicial functions, on respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms – in particular freedom of expression and freedom of the press – and on a participatory political culture that truly reflects the plurality of a democratic society;
7. Recalls that freedom of expression and media pluralism are at the heart of European values and that a truly democratic, free and pluralist society requires true freedom of expression; recalls that freedom of expression is applicable not only to information or ideas that are favourably received or regarded as inoffensive, but also, in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights, to those that offend, shock or disturb the state or any section of the population;
8. Is concerned about the deterioration in freedom of the press and about certain acts of censorship and growing self-censorship within the Turkish media, including on the internet; calls on the Turkish Government to uphold the principle of press freedom; stresses that an independent press is crucial to a democratic society, and points in this context to the essential role of the judiciary in protecting and enhancing press freedom, and thereby guaranteeing public space for free debate;
9. Reiterates its concern about the fact that most media are owned by, and concentrated in, large conglomerates with a wide range of business interests; reiterates its call for the adoption of a new media law addressing, inter alia, the issues of independence, ownership and administrative control;
10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the Commission, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, the President of the European Court of Human Rights, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the Government and Parliament of the Republic of Turkey.
- [1] Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0184.
- [2] OJ L 51, 26.2.2008, p. 4.