TURKEY IN EUROPE, IS IT THE END?

EuropeNews
Dec 9 2008
Denmark

The draft report presented Tuesday in the European Parliament seems
to definitely abandon the prospect of Turkey’s progress as well as
its accession perspective.

– December 2009 set as a deadline date

The Member of the European Parliament Ria Oomen-Ruijten (European
Popular Party, Conservative, Netherlands) presented on Tuesday the
draft version of her 2008 report on Turkey in the Foreign Affairs
Committee of the European Parliament. Significantly, this presentation
occurred late in front of a sparse assembly of Turkey’s supportive
MEPs and of Anatolian journalists.

>From a general perspective, the draft resolution impresses through
the resigned dissatisfaction it expresses: "concerns" and "regrets"
are the main message delivered to Ankara while accession prospect is
even no more mentioned, but to recall that it is subordinated to the
"full compliance with all the Copenhagen criteria and EU integration
capacity".

On the other hand, the report recalls its "concern to see in Turkey,
for the third consecutive year, a continuous slowdown of the reform
process" despite the strong mandate of the AKP government. It regrets
too that the EC-Turkey Association Agreement and the Additional
Protocol – which would be considered by Brussels as an implicit
recognition of Cyprus by Turkey – "have not yet been implemented fully
by the Turkish government" and it recalls that the non-fulfilment
by Ankara of its commitment "by December 2009 will further seriously
affect the process of negotiations".

"We are pleased to note the new tone of this report, compared to the
previous year, which is now pointing out Turkey’s shortcomings rather
than excusing them. Facing the countless failed pledges of Ankara, this
report gives ground to the credibility of the EU political approach"
stated Laurent Leylekian, executive director of the European Armenian
Federation.

About Human Rights and freedom of speech issues, the report regrets
that "freedom of expression and freedom of the press are still not
fully protected in Turkey", that the amendment to Article 301 of the
Penal Code was not sufficient, as people continue to be prosecuted"
and it is now calling for the repeal of this article. It regrets also
"the frequent website bans, the extent of which draws Turkey away
from standards of a democratic, pluralistic society".

About minorities, the draft report expresses its concerns "about
continuing hostility and violence" that they endure and about the fact
that "Turkey has made no progress on ensuring cultural diversity and
promoting respect for, and protection of, minorities"

"These actual facts are very important to remind us, especially
now, as Turkey is currently threatening even Europeans in Europe,
especially those who dare to mention the Kurdish issue or the Armenian
genocide – for instance columnists Alberto Rosselli, Dogan Ozguden
or professor Ronald Mönsch" commented the director of the European
Armenian Federation.

About the various aspects of the Armenian issue, Mrs Oomen-Ruijten
report "Welcomes the visit of President Gul to Armenia in September
2008 following an invitation from President Sarkisian, and hopes that
it will indeed foster a climate favourable to the normalisation of
relations between their countries".

The paragraph also "calls on the Turkish government to re-open
its border with Armenia and to restore full economic and political
relations with Armenia". Lastly, Mrs Oomen-Ruijten restates her motto,
calling "once again on the Turkish and 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; and calls
on the Commission to facilitate this reconciliation process".

"This time again, Mrs Oomen-Ruijten keeps on to equalise victims and
their butchers while genocide is an imprescriptible crime against
Humanity that cannot be reduced to bilateral relations between two
States" declared Laurent Leylekian.

"We regret this outmoded attitude through which Turkey is encouraged
to keep on its denial policy and through which she put in jeopardy
Turkish intellectuals who are now less afraid to talk about the
Armenian Genocide as such than some MEPs" he concluded.

–Boundary_(ID_ljQVogftoAzSoeE4+gclkA) —