Discussion of EP Turkey Report Put Off Until September
Zaman, Turkey
July 11 2006
Published: Tuesday, July 11, 2006
zaman.com
The discussion of a report on Turkey filed by Dutch MEP Camiel Eurling
at the European Parliament foreign relations commission has been put
off until September.
Some 400 amendment proposals, most of them by Greek MPs, have been
submitted regarding the 2006 report on Turkey. The commission is to
discuss the draft report between September 4-7.
The draft report calls on Turkey to open its ports and harbors to
Greek Cypriot traffic. "The recognition of EU members including Greek
Cyprus by Turkey is a compulsory part of the accession process,"
the report states.
Turkey is urged to launch neighborly and diplomatic relations with
Armenia, and also to open its Armenian border, according to the same
draft report.
The border between Turkey and Armenia has remained closed since 1991
following the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani lands.
Turkey is also expected to accelerate its reforms and conduct fair
trials.
The report condemns the PKK terror organization and calls for the
lowering of the 10-percent electoral threshold for entry of political
parties to the National Assembly.