EU: PARLIAMENT WARNS TURKEY OVER LACK OF REFORM
AKI, Italy
Aug 5 2006
Strasbourg, 5 Sept. (AKI) – A European Parliament committee has warned
Turkey that its continuing refusal to allow Greek Cypriot ships and
planes to enter its ports and airspace could stall its membership
negotiations with the European Union. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday,
Dutch Conservative MEP Camil Eurlings said the influential foreign
affairs committee endorsed the findings of his draft report criticising
Turkey for its failure to implement key reforms demanded by the EU,
especially in recognising EU member, Cyprus. "We have seen a clear
slowdown and that is regrettable," Eurlings said.
"Stagnation means regression," Eurlings continued. Eurlings’
report notes "persistent shortcomings,," in areas such as freedom of
expression, religious and minority rights, the role of the military,
policing, women’s rights, trade union rights and cultural rights. The
report urges Turkey to "reinvigorate" the reform process.
Eurlings’ report is also critical of Ankara’s refusal to fully
implement a protocol extending its customs union with the EU to the
10 countries that joined the bloc in 2004, including Cyprus. This
prevents Cypriot planes and ships entering Turkish air and sea ports.
"Lack of progress in this regard will have serious implications
for the negotiation process and could even bring it to a halt,"
the report cautioned.
The report also levelled criticism at the Turkish government’s refusal
to recognise the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during and
after World War I. It recommends making such recognition a prerequisite
for Turkey’s membership of the EU.
Eurlings said he hoped his report would galvanise Ankara and "act as
a signal and an incentive to reintroduce the vigorous speed of reform
is had shown in the year before accession negotiations started." The
report will be debated by the full 732-member parliament in late
September.
After protracted negotiations, Turkey began accession talks with the
EU last October. The talks do not lead automatically to membership,
which in any event is not expected before 2015.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
