Turkey has less than two years to meet EU’s accession criteria

17.03.2006 15:02

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Noting the slowing pace of reform in Turkey, the
European Parliament has called upon the Turkish government to take
immediate steps to ends its discriminatory and repressive policies,
European Armenian Federation reported.

In its recently adopted resolution on the “Commission’s 2005
Enlargement Strategy Report,” the Parliament also called on the
European Commission to define the geographical boundaries of the
European Union.

In the section of the report dedicated to Turkey, the European
Parliament states that the priorities outlined in the Accession
Partnership have to be accomplished in the first phase of the
negotiations.” and “notes with satisfaction that the Commission now
supports this view as well by stating that those criteria have to be
fulfilled within one or two years.”

Based on these considerations, the Parliament therefore called upon
Turkey “to present as soon as possible a plan, including a timetable
and specific measures, to meet these deadlines,” and urged the
Commission and the Council “to make the progress of the negotiations
conditional on the timely accomplishment of those priorities.”

This demand comes in reaction to the slowing down of Turkey’s reforms,
which were noted in the resolution. The Parliament also formally asked
Turkey “to remove all existing legislative and practical obstacles
to full enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms by all Turkish
citizens, notably freedom of expression, religious freedom, cultural
rights, rights of minorities.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress