European Report
July 6, 2005
EURO-MPS DIGEST EU/TURKEY NEGOTIATING FRAMEWORK WITH REHN
MEPs on the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee were said
to be supportive in general of the negotiating framework for the
accession talks with Turkey just proposed by the European Commission
as they held discussions with EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn
late on July 4 in Strasbourg. Nevertheless, a number of them stressed
the need for real and visible progress from Turkey in the fields of
human rights, women’s rights, religious freedom and Cyprus, as well
as for a genuine application of the criteria for joining the EU.
Presenting the framework to the MEPs, Mr Rehn described it as “the
strictest and at the same time the fairest basis” for conducting
accession talks with Turkey (see also Europe Information 2975). In
reply to questions, Mr Rehn told MEPs that priorities in the
negotiations due to start on October 3 would include respect of human
rights in general, zero tolerance of torture, and respect of the
rights of non-Muslim communities, women’s organisations and trade
unions. On religious freedom, the Commissioner signalled that a ‘law
on foundations’ currently before the Turkish parliament was deficient
and that it might be better to postpone its adoption until it had
been improved.
On Armenia, Commissioner Rehn said Turkey would have to maintain good
neighbourly relations in general and thus normalise its relations
with Armenia and open its borders. However, he indicated that
recognition of the events of 1915-1916 – the “Armenian genocide” –
was not a pre-condition for opening accession negotiations, while in
the same breath regretting the postponement of a conference of
historians on this issue at the Bosphorus University.