EU CALLS ON TURKEY TO UNCOVER ERGENEKON’S LINKS IN STATE
Today’s Zaman
March 13 2008
Turkey
The European Parliament, one of the European Union’s strongest
institutions, has called on Turkey to investigate the shadowy Ergenekon
network to unearth its "deep connections" within the state.
The Ergenekon gang, a neo-nationalist group accused of involvement
in plans to stage a violent uprising against the government, was
discovered at the end of an investigation that came upon the heels
of a police raid in June of last year that uncovered an arms depot
in a house in Ýstanbul’s Umraniye district. The prosecutor in the
Ergenekon case has said the gang worked to create disorder and chaos
through divisive and violent acts so the public would be willing to
accept a military intervention to restore order.
"Turkish authorities should resolutely pursue investigations into the
Ergenekon affair, to fully uncover its networks reaching into the state
structures and to bring those involved to justice," the draft report,
prepared by Dutch Christian Democrat MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten, said.
The group is suspected of involvement in the murder of three Christian
missionaries in Malatya in 2007, the 2006 murder of a priest in the
northern city of Trabzon, the murder of ethnic Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink in 2007, a 2006 attack on the Council of State and a
grenade attack on daily Cumhuriyet in 2006.
The draft report also strongly called on the government to speed up
its reform process and fulfill its promises on sensitive issues such
as Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). The nine-page draft
viewed by Today’s Zaman is expected to be discussed at the Foreign
Affairs Committee in April and to be approved by the parliament in May.
The draft, which is expected to be amended several times before
approval by the European Parliament, welcomes a declaration by Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan that 2008 would be the year of reforms.
Another development that the report refers to with satisfaction is the
civilian authorities’ success in confronting the military interference
in the political process back in April, when the government boldly
rejected an intervention by the military in the process of presidential
elections.
Welcoming Parliament’s passage of the Law on Foundations granting
broader property rights for non-Muslim minorities, the draft calls for
vigorous further steps for reforms. Calling the outlawed Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK) a terror organization, the draft says the PKK
should declare an immediate and unconditional cease-fire. The draft
also took note of Erdoðan’s statements on assimilation, which he made
in Germany and which were widely criticized in EU capitals.
Erdoðan said in Germany last month that the government wanted the Turks
to integrate better in the German society, but rejected assimilation,
saying it was a "crime against humanity."
In her draft report Oomen-Ruijten refrained from using the word
"genocide" to describe events of World War I, which Armenians claim
amounted to a genocide of their ancestors in eastern Anatolia by
the Ottoman Empire. She instead called on Turkey and Armenia to work
together to start a process of reconciliation. Oomen-Ruijten, in her
previous resolution on Turkey last fall, came under enormous pressure
from Armenian groups to refer to a genocide, but she refused to do so.
Basic issues highlighted in report * Civilian-military relations:
[The European Parliament] welcome[s] the fact that in 2007 democracy
prevailed over attempts by the military to interfere in the political
process; encourages the Turkish government to make further systematic
efforts to ensure that the democratically elected political leadership
bears full responsibility for formulation of domestic, foreign and
security policy and that the armed forces respect this civilian
responsibility.
* 301: [The] Turkish government and the Parliament should carry out,
as a priority, the repeatedly promised reform of Article 301 of
the Penal Code; [the European Parliament] deplores the fact that no
progress has been achieved regarding freedom of expression.
* Law on Foundations: [The European Parliament] welcome[s] the recent
adoption by the Turkish Parliament of the Law on Foundations; welcomes
the commission’s intention to examine the new text, and underlines that
it should analyze whether the law addresses all shortcomings faced by
non-Muslim religious communities with regard to property management
and acquisition, including expropriated property sold to third parties.
* PKK: [The European Parliament] strongly condemn[s] the violence
perpetrated by the PKK … reiterates its solidarity with Turkey
in its fight against terrorism; and once again calls on the PKK to
declare and respect an immediate and unconditional cease-fire.
* Northern Iraq: [The] Turkish government should not engage in any
disproportionate military operations violating Iraq’s territory;
urges Turkey to respect Iraq’s territorial integrity, human rights and
the rule of law, and to ensure that civilian casualties are avoided;
urges the government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government of
Iraq not to allow Iraqi territory to be used as base for terrorist
acts against Turkey.
* Kurdish Issue: [The] Turkish government should launch, as a matter
of priority, a political initiative favoring a lasting settlement of
the Kurdish issue, which can only be based on tangible improvements in
the cultural, economic and social opportunities available to citizens
of Kurdish origin, including real possibilities to learn Kurdish and
to use it in broadcasting and in access to public services; calls
upon the [Democratic Society Party] DTP, its members of parliament
and mayors to engage constructively in the quest for a political
solution to the Kurdish issue within the democratic Turkish state.
* Armenia: [The] Turkish government should end the economic blockade
and re-open its border with Armenia; calls once again on Turkish
and the Armenian governments to start a process of reconciliation,
in respect of the present and the past, allowing for a frank and open
discussion of past events.
* Hrant Dink murder: [The European Parliament] strongly urge[s]
the Turkish authorities to carry out a full investigation into the
murders of Hrant Dink and of the three Christians in Malatya, as well
as all other cases of politically or religiously motivated violence,
including full clarification of allegations of negligence on the part
of the competent authorities, and to bring all responsible to justice.
* Constitution: Takes note of the process under way to prepare
a new, civilian constitution; regards it as a key opportunity to
place the protection of human rights and freedoms at the core of
the constitution.
–Boundary_(ID_WqPmEGC/Njkeev4fnFzd 8w)–